Pinch Me!
by Everqueen
Summary: Why are there so many people I know in a country I've never been in? ChichiriTasuki fic. Just a small bit of fun. Cussing. Complete
1. Off to Japan

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story. I like this pairing. However, since Tasuki was reborn as a woman (aren't I mean? Rofl) I am not sure if this is yaoi. lol Hope you like it. Everqueen (Another A/N I just fixed something on here. I only gave her one brother through the story and had forgotten to come and changet the two she had in the first chapter to 1. And yes, this story is fully written on my computer. I'm in the process of editting it. I move to texas in about 2 1/2 weeks, so it will be fully posted before then. Everqueen) 

The redheaded woman lay back upon her bed, her eyes watching the light from the window dance across the darkened ceiling in a pattern that was as familiar to her as the room was in the daytime. She knew she should sleep, after all, tomorrow was going to be a very long day, but for now she just couldn't. It was like the night before christmas, the excitement, the anticipation. However, there was one slight difference. She was nervous, anxious as well. A bit scared if she was completely honest with herself.

Turning her head she looked at the stack of boxes and the few suitcases that sat beside an almost empty dresser. This was her last night in her childhood room, at least for awhile. Tomorrow she would be leaving her home in Southern New Mexico and moving to Japan. She was going to be an exchange student there in Tokyo. She smiled, her prominant fangs showing. She couldn't believe it when she had gotten accepted into the japanese college. It ranked slightly higher then NMSU, but she didn't care that it wasn't the top school. She just wanted a chance to visit one of the two places of her fascinations, finally.

As long as she could remember, she had been fascinated with Japan and ancient China. She had even taught herself to speak Japanese and a few forms of Chinese, modern and ancient. It had caught her parents by surprise, as she never really had shown such interest in studying and school before. Heck, she had spent alot of time getting into fights and in detention. Her grades had been passable. She had passed all her classes with A's and B's, but she would not stand down to anyone.

There were just certain things about her personality and appearance that had caused the other students to make fun of her. Her wild hair, that shot up in the front was one. Her fangs were another. Amber eyes narrowed and she rolled over, smirking as she thought of some of her more interesting encounters in high school.

Sleep quickly came after that, and without realizing it she woke to the sun in her eyes and her mother knocking on her door, telling her to get up.

Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her mind's eye still holding the image of a man with blue hair smiling at her. For as long as she could remember, she had dreamed of this man, plus others. She never had met them, but she had dreamt of them so often that she could easily sketch them and describe them. In fact, she did have many sketches of them. One that she kept in a frame. She never could explain it, a group of 8 gathered and posing. A young girl in a japanese style outfit in front, giving a peace sign. The blue haired monk, a young boy with pink hair, the purple haired man/woman (she never could figure out if the person was man or woman, it changed from dream to dream), the regal looking figure dressed like an ancient chinese emperor. The redheaded man with the fanged cocky grin who reminded the girl of herself. The dark blue/purple headed man and then the one with what looked like a half turbin on his head. She had even named them. Miaka, Chichiri, Chiriko, Nuriko, Hotohiri, Tasuki, Tamahome and Mitsukake. Where she had gotten these names, she didn't know.

Due to a lack of friends, she did once in awhile, when she needed to talk, imagine the blue haired monk, Chichiri, was with her and she would talk to a sketch she kept of him alone in another frame. The frames were now packed and ready to ship, although the sketches were in her travel bag, that she would take on the plane with her. She didn't want them damaged in the shipping. Her parents were sending the boxes that afternoon after she got on her plane, they would be arriving within a few weeks.

Rising and quickly dressing, she threw on a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt before slipping sandles on and running downstairs to see what her mother had made for breakfast. She hoped it was going to be chocolate chip pancakes. She almost gave a girly cheer when she got to the kitchen and realized it was, but she held it in. No one would ever call her girly. She was as much tomboy as she could get without going through a gender change. She had even thought of breast reduction, although she couldn't be called large with a B-cup. She had no wish to change her sex, she was straight. She just didn't like being a girl. She figured in the end it would be easier to be with a guy if she was a woman, public opinion and appearances and all that. What was really the point of the pain of a sex change to become a gay man anyways, eh?

The morning flew by quickly, quiet conversation with her mother, her father hiding behind his paper. Her younger brother giggling like a schoolgirl, which she just assumed he would be if he could. She hadn't been very surprised when Tad had come outta the closet earlier that year, although it took some getting use to when your younger brother's head would turn to look at the same person that caught your own eye, but she dealt with it.

Eleven thirty came by quickly and the family piled into the minivan to go to the airport in El Paso, Texas, the closest city with an airport. The good byes on the lower section of the airport were long and exhausting and not just a little bit embarrassing. The girl was still flushed with embarrassment as she waited to go through security at the way her mother had tried to insist she accompany her "baby girl" to the gate. She whispered a quick thank you to which ever God was listening as she waited in line. However, the little brat ahead of her making faces and the screaming baby a few people back were starting to get on her nerves. She had held her temper, and language, in check all morning, to keep arguments with her parents to a minimum, but she didn't know how much longer she could last. She finally got up to the security station and found herself muttering "Thank Suzaku" as she made it through without any mishaps and was able to move to her gate finally.

The greatful feelings she had though, could not match the one she experienced in walking off the plane in Japan so many hours later. Tired and exhausted, and more then a bit grouchy, the redhead walked outta customs and scanned the gathered crowd for her name. She had been informed that a representative of the university would be there to pick her up and take her to her new school.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, she almost slumped with relief to see her name on a sign. Not taking any time to notice the man holding it as she approached, she looked up into the face of one she had named Tamahome, the words "Hi, I'm Smi..." escaping her lips before she stopped in the middle of her name to stare at the face so familiar only in her dreams.

The man was staring down at her, a slightly shocked expression in his face before he quickly recovered and put on a neutral face. The girl shook her head, thinking her exhaustion was playing games with her and restarted. "I'm Smith Genevieve." She gestured to the sign. The man blinked, probably at her flawless Japanese and then bowed to her. "Welcome. I am Sukuname Taka. I am a history teacher. Are you ready to get your bags and go to see your new school?"

Genevieve, Gen to all who knew her, glared slightly at the man before her. It was one of the most annoying things to her. She was short, and on the thin side, but she was not some childish delicate flower that most tried to treat her like till she taught them different. It would seem this teacher was thinking the same. "I guess so. I do have three other bags." She raised an eyebrow to him and when he made no move to show her the way to baggage claim she muttered under her breathe in english "Useless" and moved past him, looking for signs of a baggage claim. She heard and felt him move behind her and smirked slightly, her fangs showing. She made it to the end of the hall and looked both ways before turning with a sigh to the teacher. "Oi, where is the baggage claim?"

The look in his eye caught her by surprise. She knew her brash and more then slightly rude manner tended to turn people off, but this man seemed more amused than annoyed and he pointed to his left and she turned and marched that way, knowing he was following her.

Taka had watched in amazement as the Tasuki female look alike had falteringly introduced herself and to cover his surprise he had spoken very formally to her and angered her somehow. Now she stormed ahead of him, very Tasuki like down the cooridore. He could see the slight surprise in her eyes when she had turned to face him at the end of the cooridore to ask about baggage claim. He had to admit as she walked off again that her grasp of the language was astonishing, especially from an american student who had barely managed to pass their entrance exam with her previous school's scores. To find one that could speak like a local was very curious to him. As he followed he wondered if she spoke chinese also.

He collected her luggage, three overstuffed suitcases that made him grunt when he grabbed two. He noticed that she lugged one off the belt and carried it without a problem, even looking at him and asking if he could carry both of those without problem. Something in her voice and mannerisms had irked him, much to the way that Tasuki had and he had hefted them with a glare at her, which caused her to smirk at him, giving him his first glimpse of her dominant fangs.

During the drive to the university, where he would help her get to her dorm and then give her instructions on how to get to orientation, he slowly became more and more convinced that he would be able to tell Miaka that he had finally found their last Seishi.

Gen rode in silence, finally glad to be away from the hustle and bustle of airports, planes and people. A growing headache from her long flight, most of it sleepless thanks to the large foreheaded child behind her, and the change in climate and temperature caused her to glare slightly out the window on their drive, not really saying much to the teacher driving beside her. Still getting use to the view out what would normally be the driver's side window, she watched as buildings went by, trying to keep the panic that she felt rising at being driven down the wrong side of the street, although she knew this was how they drove over here. Backwards.

They made it to the university in good time and she climbed from the low car and stretched slightly, still feeling cramped after the flight. She turned to look at the teacher as he opened the trunk and pulled her luggage from the back. Shouldering her backpack, which served as her carry on, she grabbed a suitcase in each hand, feeling a bit calmer at the weight of it and the familiarity of her cases. Sukanami-sensei seemed a bit surprised at her carrying three bags, but did not comment, or try and weedle the "delicate female" from her self induced load. He grabbed the last bag and lead her to her room.

The door of her room was opened, after a quick knock to make sure her roommate was not within. Given no answer, Taka unlocked the door and turned and gave her the key, but stopped short of speaking as he took in her look of horror. He turned back with trepidition to the room, thinking the roommate must be inside and in various stages of undress, but a roommate empty room was all he saw. He took in the flowered bedspread on one bed, the cute little feminine touches that would have Miaka squeeling. He looked to the exchange student as she pushed past him and gave him one final hint that she was their Tasuki.

"Fuckin' great. Damn girly girl and all her pretty little flowers. Might as well sleep in a fuckin' flower shop. I hate girls." With that she threw her bags on the empty bed and turned to look at him, glowering. She was once again surprised to see amusement in his eyes. This just seemed to irritate her more. "What's so frickin' funny?" He shook his head and put her suitcase inside of the door. "Not a thing, Smith-san. Let me show you to freshmen orientation, which is scheduled to start in 5 minutes and I will let you alone." She just glared at him, flipped her bag off her shoulder, reached in and grabbed a folder and then followed him out of the room, remembering to grab her key off the dresser just in time, and with a reminder from the teacher.


	2. School Starts

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story. Thanks for the reviews so far, I'm glad some people are enjoying it. HEHE, Everqueen!

Gen sat a bit away from the others after having gotten her student packet and was now engrossed in it. Taka watched whom he was now convinced was Tasuki for a moment longer before leaving and walking towards another building on campus. He paused at the door of a classroom and smiled at the wild, blue hair of his friend, who was leaning over his desk, busy writting. His first thoughts had been to call Miaka, but he had decided to hold off on that. The Seishi had all realized, as they regained the memories of their past life, that while Chichiri was glad to see them, something was missing. When Chiriko had been found, leaving only Tasuki missing, they had all realized that Tasuki was something special to the monk. It was with this knowledge that drove the one previously known as Tamahome to seek his blue haired friend out first. Now, the only problem was how to tell him. Not just that Tasuki had been found, but the bandit had been reborn as a woman hating... woman. 

Chichiri felt Taka's ki enter his building and a small part of him followed his progress as his friend came through the building to Chichiri's room. However, most of his attention was focused on his schedule, which he was working feverishly on getting done, seeing as they were to be turned in to the office in about an hour. He did not look up when Taka entered his room and stood at the door, but finished his schedule before raising his head, smiling with genuine pleasure at his friend. "Back from picking up the exchange student, no da?"

Taka pushed away from his leaning position against the door frame and walked in, figuring he would just get Chiri to see Tasuki for himself. That was the best option. "Hai. I have something I want to show you. You done with your schedule?" Chichiri nodded and gathered up the papers on his desk. "Hai, I just finished the last one, no da. I do need to stop off at the office and get rid of these, but then I am free for the day, na no da."

Taka nodded "Good, the office is on the way, come on." Chichiri followed curiously after his old friend, questioning him about what he was to see. Whatever Taka was planning, he was obviously keeping to himself. The former monk was beginning to feel a bit uneasy.

Dropping off his papers, carefully keeping his "no da's" out of his speech, he followed the warrior down to where freshmen orientation was. He stopped outside the door and looked at the closed door, causing Taka to look back at him expectantly. Chichiri paused. "I think Tasuki's in there, no da." He looked curiously at Taka. "His ki is as calm as the rests were before they were awakened, but I would know his ki anywhere, no da." 

Taka resisted the urge to correct the "he" in Chichiri's speech and opened the door, pulling his friend inside the large auditorium. Only the three students seated near the door looked as the two professor's entered. Taka's eyes lit upon Gen almost immediately and then he looked to Chiri's face and waited for the moment when his friend spotted the remaining Seishi.

Chichiri leaned against the wall, fighting his growing excitement. Finally Tasuki would be among them, they would all be together again. With his excitement under control, he finally began to search the crowd, looking for him. He almost missed her, not having been expecting a woman as his Tasuki. He was very glad to have the wall at his back as he slumped against it. He turned to find Taka looking down at him and understanding look in his eyes. Their woman hating bandit had been reborn a woman.

Taka pushed from against the wall and with one final glance at the Tasuki woman, Chichiri followed his friend into the hall. They were both quiet till the reached Taka's class, which was closer. 

Taka rounded on his quiet friend and studied his face. "Unexpected, wasn't it." Chichiri nodded. "Maybe she wasn't him. Maybe he was hiding somewhere and we missed him, no da." He looked up at Taka shaking his head "No, definately her. I just spent over an hour in her presence. She is definately Tasuki. Down to her woman hating and bad attitude." Chichiri smirked at him. "So, she likes men, what is wrong with that? Doesn't mean she is him."

Taka shook his head and began to tell of everything that clued Taka into that she was Tasuki. The final being her words and reaction to her roommates side of the room. Chichiri was laughing, still having problems coming to grips that the woman was his Tasuki, but knowing it sounded a great deal like him.

However, as they finally sat down and started working on a plan of action to get this "Gen" to come around to who she had been, they had to get her in contact with the others. This required thought and a group meeting. Time to call Miaka.

Gen sighed to herself. Ok, orientation was officially boring. It had only been going on for , looks at her watch, 37 minutes and she was about to fall asleep and catch some z's. She knew not all of that could be blamed on the dullness of this meeting, but it had been a long flight and she was tired. No one could blame her for not being awake. She had been up for about 37 hours so far and had only slept about 4 hours her last night home. It was getting to her. 

Hoping anything would take her mind of her sleepiness, she shifted her eyes and started to study the other students. A movement at the door had her turning her attention there and she sat up a bit straighter as what she thought might be the teacher who had brought her here and a man with blue hair, much like the one she thought of as Chichiri. Blinking in shock for about 10 seconds, she settled back in her seat, focused her eyes towards the front and spent a good minute trying to get her brain thinking again.

Ok, what was the coincidence that not only was Tamahome here, but also Chichiri? And why did that thought make her want to jump up and down for joy like a little girl? The last thought sickened her and left a bad taste in her mouth. That was definately not something she was going to be doing anytime soon, no matter what that blue haired man did to her insides. 

She realized, with a start, that everyone was rising and she did so as well, grabbing her folder. She hung back and let the others walk ahead of her, watched with disinterest as they paired off with friends and walked out, leaving her one of the last to leave. Walking from the building, she shivered slightly at the cooler then normal temperature. It had to be about 70 degrees outside. How could these people be wearing shorts and t-shirts? She was wearing jeans and light long sleeved shirt, knowing that planes always made her cold. Even now she was chilly. Considering that when she had left home it had been a nice 99 degrees outside. If she wasn't careful, she was going to get sick from the weather change, something she had inherited from her mother. She didn't relish a cold this early in the school year.

With a sigh she turned and made her way back to where she assumed her dorm to be. She was stopped in her tracks though when ahead of her was the teacher, Sukunami-sensai and the Chichiri haired man. She was quiet as she watched them. Her eyes however widened when Sukunami-sensai looked at her over his companions head and then said one word to the blue haired man, which made him turn and look at her. 

Her startled cry, loud enough to reach the two men, escaped her lips before she could keep it in. "CHICHIRI!" A hand smacked over her mouth and she looked around for a place to escape too. She was between buildings and in her panic and confusion she couldn't just get her mind around the idea of turning and running back into the building she had just exitted. 

Taka and Chichiri were both surprised into stillness when they heard her cry out "CHICHIRI!". However, her panicked actions brought them out of their temporary paralysis. Not even realizing why he did it, or if it was the right thing to do, Chichiri moved towards the female Tasuki, his senses telling him that her ki had grown since he had last seen her in the orientation room. However, he hadn't expected Tasuki's reincarnation to bolt like a frightened doe. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from following her and he turned to look at Taka. 

Taka shook his head at Chiri. "Not yet, we need to talk to Miaka and the others, come on. You know they are waiting for us." Chichiri nodded and looked at Tasuki as she rounded the corner of the building and disappeared from sight, before turning and following his friend.

Miaka practically launched herself at Taka when he walked in the door. "Omigod, did you really find Tasuki? Where is he, did you bring him with you?" She was peering past Taka and Chiri, trying to find Tasuki when Taka pushed back on her, and directed her to the living room, letting Chichiri get the door. They were both surprised the others were already there when they entered the living room, waiting for the two seishi to appear.

The others wanted Tasuki back with them as much as Chichiri and Taka. Well, maybe not as much as Chiri. The two teachers found themselves peppered with questions almost immediately and giving each other bemused glances they took seats in the room and waited for them to quiet. Nuriko was the first to speak, from her seat next to Hotohori. Reincarnated as a woman, she and Hotohori were married now. "So, where is the hothead?"

Taka smiled "Well, currently Tasuki is getting settled at the college." He looked at Chichiri and his look clearly said "Do I tell them or you?" Chiri shook his head emphatically and Taka said before continuing. "That is if Chichiri didn't scare her off."

He let his words hang in the air, waiting for the reaction. Chiriko was first to reply, having caught on to it. "HER?" Chichiri nodded "Apparently our Tasuki has been reincarnated as a woman hating woman." Nuriko and Miaka stared at each other and then burst out laughing. The rest seemed floored by this development. 

While waiting for the two women to calm down, Chichiri thought on the problem of getting Tasuki into their group. Nuriko and Hotohori were already engaged when they met Miaka and Tamahome in this life. Chiriko was a child genius and was a second year college student at the same school Tasuki went to now. Mitsukake was a doctor at the college, having switched to there after he was found by Miaka in the ER, where he had been working, thanks to her breaking her leg. Tamahome had found Chichiri almost as soon as the former monk began to work there. A little time with Miaka and the growing group of old friends had restored their memories, however. 

"Tasuki goes by the name Smith Genevieve now. She is a foreign exchange student from the United States, although her Japanese is very good. She sounds like she is a local." He continued on, telling of all that had transpired dealing with Taski that day, all listened to Taka as he spoke. They were nodding, each going over different ways to possibly get her to start talking to one of them. They planned long into the evening.

Genevieve glanced around curiously as if she expected great evil to be haunting her. This really wasn't far from the truth. She was avoiding... the roommate. Seeing no one around, she settled onto the grass and pulled out her sketch book and idly began to draw, not paying much attention to what she was sketching as her mind moved to her roomie. The girls name was Suki. She didn't remember the last name, nor did she care. 

Upon arriving back to her room after escaping and hiding from Tamahome and Chichiri for a few hours, as she thought of them and she had found an overbearing, flaky girl bouncing on the flowery blankets of the other bed. Gen had flinched inwardly and prepared for the onslaught of girl that she knew was coming. She was not let down. She had barely been able to make out a word of the other girl's Japanese. Not that she had an accent or anything, but she had been talking so fast that Gen was sure if the girl had been speaking in English, she still wouldn't have understood her. Gen, sighingly, had told Suki that she was tired and was going to bed. The irritating brunette had not taken a hint and had pestered Gen to come and hang out with her and her friends, as they would be the best of friends. This had snapped Gen's already frayed nerves and she had rounded on her roommate and had bared her fangs, stopping the other girl short, and rendering her quiet, which Gen was sure was a first. Quickly counting to 10, Gen had not so calmly explained to the girl that she had been awake for 2 days and was severely jetlagged and needed sleep... in not so nice of terms. The girl had blanched and nodded, leaving her grumpy roomie to sleep. 

Then Suki had shut off her alarm clock "I thought you could use the sleep, you seemed so exhausted when we met." Gen had missed her first class. She had awakened in time for the second one, with Tamahome and had not said anything to him, just did her work and kept on going with her day. Only problem,her roommie continued to pester her since then, whenever they were in the room at the same time.

It was now day 4 of her life in Japan. She was over her jetlag, but the sudden dip in weather was really starting to get to her. The constant sinus headache and the now scratchy throat were making her really contemplate seeking out the campus infirmary before it got worse. She usually tolerated anything, but refused to go without seeing a doctor when her throat became scratchy. She knew from experience that if she let that go to long, she would be sicker then a dog in about a week and it would last for months. And since this was only the end of August, it also meant it would last all winter, till sometime next spring. However, for now she had a class. It was with the same teacher that taught the class she had missed on her first full day in Tokyo. A Mr. Ri. 

Standing, Gen walked towards the building where his class was. She had hunted it down the day before, although no one had been in there. She had hoped to get to meet her teacher and apologize for missing the class. It really was not her fault that she had an evil roomie who had turned off her alarm or that she was overly jet lagged. With a sigh she followed a small group of students into the room when she arrived at her destination.

She entered the room, quickly surveying the room. Once again, like with every other student and class she had seen since she got here, they were all dressed as if it was hot outside. What the hell was wrong with these people? Gen knew she stood out in her wranglers, shit kickers and Alamogordo Tigers sweatshirt. She didn't really give a shit about her high school team, but it was the warmest thing she had right now. Most of her winter clothes were in transit, coming in boxes and such. She turned and looked around for the teacher, but did not see anyone up front so she found some open seats near the back and sat down. Then she began to study the others in the room. A group of girls sat in the front, preening and looking in their compacts. The rest of the students were evenly distributed around the room, but it was the giggly girls up front that caught her eye. K'so, so it would seem that the teacher was a 'hotty'. Rolling her eyes, she focused on the door at the front as it opened and felt her breath hitch in her chest as Chichiri entered the room. 

She found herself studying how he moved and when he started to talk, calling roll, the way his voice sounded. How the hell had her dreams been this descriptive? He was just the way she remembered, although with something missing. Hell, it wasn't like he hadn't been in her dreams last night anyways. She was staring foolishly at him that she almost missed her name and blinked once when he called it again. All the other students were looking at her and she gulped. "I'm here." and then gave him a fanged grin that made a few of the students near her start whispering. She gave them no notice as she made quick eye contact with Chichiri and then he dropped his eyes to his list and continued on with roll call.

Class kinda went by in a blur for her. All she could see was him, his mannerisms, voice, walk, body.. Wait, what the hell. Even if he did look like Chichiri and Sukunami Taka looked like Tamahome, didn't mean they were. It had to be a coincidence. It was a big world, surely out there, somewhere, there was some who looked like her, right? As long as none of the others from her dreams showed up, she would just chalk all this up to coincidence and move on. Plus where were his "no da's"?

The bell ringing pulled her from her musings and she stood, watching the teacher move to his desk and she moved forward, while the rest headed out of the class. Chichiri look alike or no, she had to apologize for missing his first class. 

Chichiri had somehow made it through the class without staring like a fool at the redhead in the back of the class. To see such a feminine and delicate form of his Tasuki sitting there was hard to take. And to have two classes with this woman in them, his General from the first day, the one she had missed, and this class on Religion, well, it was more then he thought he could take.

He felt her ki moving towards him as he felt the rest of the class leave. Repressing a sigh, he looked up at her, his gaze quickly taking in her nervous face. Oi, please don't let her say anything or call him Chichiri. He didn't think he could take it right now.

Her voice was sweet to his ears as she spoke, bowing low to him, formally. It flittered in the back of his mind to know where she had learned Japanese and traditions. He focused on her words. "...mean to skip Tuesday's class. I had been up for over 48 hours and was so tired when I got to sleep that night that I guess I didn't hear my alarm going off. Please forgive me, Ri-sensei." 

Chichiri gave a small sigh of relief that this was just about her missed class on Tuesday. Jetlag he could deal with, she had just arrived the day before and considering she had done him a major favor when she hadn't shown up, as he wasn't ready then to face her, he could forgive her for it. 

Chichiri nodded to her and opened his notebook with his lessons and flipped to that day. "We just went over the first chapter, no da. Just make sure you have the next chapter read by next Tuesday and are ready for discussions and you will be all set, na no da." He looked up from his notebook and found her staring at him, shock and a curious longing was in her gaze. It was then that he realized he had slipped to using "no da" with her. He had not used those in his teaching at all. He was always very careful to keep them out of his vocabulary at the school. All but his friends would not understand that it was an OLD habit.

After standing shock still for a moment, Gen gave herself a mental shake of the head and bowed to Chichiri again. "Thank you. I will be ready for class on Tuesday." She gave another bow and left the room, trying not to blush when she felt his gaze on her. She had almost convinced herself that it wasn't her Chichiri, due to his "normal" speech in class. However, just now, he had slipped into the way of talking her blue haired monk used in her dreams. This place was definately getting weirder by the moment.

Gen made her way to a table in the semi crowded cafeteria. These weird people still thought it was nice enough to eat outside after all. She had just decided to eat lunch and then go to the infirmary to get her throat checked out when she felt a presence sit across from her. She was very grateful that she had nothing in her mouth when she looked up to see Chiriko sitting across from her, smiling happily at her. She stared at the youngest person from her dreams, her mouth moving open and closed. He was just smiling in understanding and waited for her to finish her fish imitations.

Finally she managed to choke out "Chiriko", and blushed, knowing that probably wasn't his name, after all Tamahome and Chichiri were known by other names here. However, this strange boy, as that was what he was, he looked to be about 15 or 16, just smiled wider. "Some call me Chiriko, but my name is Ou Dokun. You may call me whatever you wish, Chiriko is fine with me." 

Not even waiting for her to reply to this, he set down to business. "I am sorry to search you out, but I was hoping you would do a favor for me?" She blinked at him and her face showed a bit of mistrust. "What favor?" 

He was not affected by her tone at all. "I was wondering if you could be a tutor, for English. I am assuming that your English is up to par for tutoring, correct?" At her bemused nod, and the way she returned to her food, he continued. "We are having a meeting on Saturday at this address" he slipped a piece of paper across the table. "If you don't know how to get there, please call me, my number is on that paper, or go and ask Sukunami sensei. He is in charge of the tutoring program." He waited for her acknowledgement, which came with a nod and a tucking of the paper into a notebook and would have stood up to leave, except he noticed something interesting when she opened her notebook. Something that looked familiar.

He stopped half rise and nodded to the book "May I?" Looking up she gave a nod, half forgetting her usually framed sketches were in there until he opened it to that page. She about gagged as he looked at the picture. He had to recognize himself there. However, he didn't comment, just studied it for a moment and then flipped to the one of Chichiri. A few more pictures were looked at till he stopped at one of a mountain she didn't know. Sure, she had sketched it, but it had flowed from her hand, and she couldn't name it. However, he flipped the page one more time and came across two pictures, side by side. These she knew by heart, having seen them almost every day of her 18 years. The mountains that surrounded the Tularosa Basin. The picture of the sacramento mountains, where her home city was at, was done at sunrise, the colored pencils giving it the color that only, she felt, the sky could turn there. The other, of the sunsetting over White Sands and mountains on the other side of the basin were also done in color, the sky about 5 shades of purple, blue and red, fading to orange and yellow then green and blue. He was studying these, and smiled, looking up at her. "Where is this at?" She smiled, trying to not thank her lucky stars, or Suzaku, that he hadn't mentioned the previous pictures. "These are of scenes near my hometown." He smiled at her and handed her the notebook. "You are very talented." She smiled at him. "Thank you." and began to cough, covering her mouth and nose.

Worry was in his eyes when she looked at him. "Sorry, I get sick in winter." She said this matter of factly that he felt he had to point out. "But it's not winter, it's still summer." She smiled and picked up her emptry tray, throwing it out as she spoke to him. "Not for me. This is the start of winter. I think I need to go to the infirmary and get some medication. I'll be there on Saturday for the tutoring meeting." She picked up her books and gave a slight nod before walking off. He watched her go before smiling and leaving the room, quite happy and went in search of Chichiri.

He found Chichiri in Taka's room, the two in discussion. However as Chiriko arrived at the door of the room, both men looked up. "She will be at the 'meeting' on Saturday. I told her to come to you, Taka, if she can't find the place, as she is new here. However, I saw something interesting." Seeing he had their attention, Chiriko told them both about the sketchings. 

Chichiri looked floored. "So, she has sketchings of us as we were in the book, no da?" Chiriko just nodded "And a few of just you alone, Chichiri. Isn't that great? Even if she doesn't remember, she still knows us. She even called me Chiriko before I could introduce myself. I told her that only my friends call me that, but if she wanted to, she could." He smiled at them.

"Where is she now?" Taka was frowning slightly. "She is on her way to see Mitsukake. She is catching a cold and starting to sound horrible." Chichiri frowned, realizing that Gen had started to sound sick to him. He wanted to follow and see if she was ok, but trusted her to Mitsukake's care, knowing the Seishi would care for her well. 


	3. Healed and Awakened

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story.

Gen made her way, with a few wrong turns, to the clinic on the campus. The whole time, her mind going over her meeting with Chiriko. Something in her whispered that they weren't just dreams. She really felt as if she would scream if she found one more person she knew. She was suppose to be in a new country after all. She shouldn't know this many people, and from the way some of them acted towards her, Chiriko for instance, they knew her as well. She briefly wondered if she had ever haunted their dreams as well. 

She rounded the corner that led into the clinic, deep in thought over Chiriko's appearance and ran headlong into a tall figure. Blinking, she looked up and froze, an apology on her lips at the site of Mitsukake standing there, hands on her shoulders to keep her steady. 

Maybe it was the familiarity she was beginning to feel at finding people from her dreams here, but she spoke his name softly before she could stop herself. The doctor just seemed to smile a bit wider, taking in her large amber eyes and wild red hair. He dropped his hands and took two steps back, watching her all the while. "Well, what can I do for you? It would seem you know my nickname, so no need to introduce myself, I would gather." She gaped at him and it crossed her mind that if someone had known her nicknames right off the bat that she would question them endlessly about it. But neither Chiriko and now Mitsukake were doing this.

A quick coughing fit interrupted her thoughts and when she stopped, Mitsukake lead her to a bed and had her sit. After a quick exam of her throat, he nodded and turned from her to go to the back. He hadn't said a word. However she was surprised when he returned with what looked to be a cup of ordinary water.

Mitsukake was surprised and pleased to finally see this female Tasuki in person. If he had ever been able to picture the hot headed bandit as a woman, he didn't think she would look this small and delicate. Her clothes did not hide the woman she was. However, she had the posture and under currents of the old Tasuki. The old bluster had been missing, probably because she was so shocked at seeing him and not feeling well. 

After checking her throat and feeling her slightly warm flesh, he had nodded to himself. He would use his power to help her, or she would be miserable for a week. No way would he let one of the Seishi feel like that if he could help it, although for awhile he had let Tasuki suffer when he had cured the others. He remembered the bandit hadn't appreciated it at all. Now was different, they had recently despaired of ever finding Tasuki again and to have him show up as a her, and a foreign exchange student, he knew Suzaku was watching out for all of them. Getting a cup of water for her, he sent a quick prayer of thanks to the God of Fire and Love as he held his hand over the water, sending his magical healing into the water, as this was the easiest way to heal her without showing her too much yet.

He gave her the water and instructed her to drink it. She glanced dubiously at him, an expression so remiscent of Tasuki he wanted to laugh. Muttering in her native English, something that distinctly sounded like swearing, she drank the water down. She put the cup down, glanced up at him and opened her mouth when surprise covered her face and her hand came to her throat. "Hey, I feel much better. Thanks so much Mitsukake."

The healer just smiled. "Not a problem for you. Try and stay well, but if you have problems adjusting to the weather again, just come back and I'll help you." She nodded and jumped down to the floor, bowing to him. "Thank you again. Bye". 

Watching her leave, he felt a bit saddened, until she turned back and smiled brightly at him, fangs showing. He shook his head and walked to his office, picking up the phone to call Taka and tell him that Tasuki was ok. Something in him told him that Taka and Chichiri already knew that Tasuki was under the weather.

Chiriko had just left the two professers alone, saying he had one more class to attend for the day and he would see them tomorrow when they gathered and attempted to get Tasuki's memory back.

Taka and Chichiri were just discussing their slight guilty feelings at decieving Gen to get her to show up at Taka and Miaka's the next day when the cell phone sitting on Taka's desk rang. He picked it up and answered, listened for a few minutes and then thanked the caller and hung up. He turned back to Chiri and smiled. "Mitsukake healed Tasuki for us. She is good as new."

The former monk smiled with relief and sank back down into his chair. "I'm glad, no da."

Taka smacked his friend on the back. "Come on, we each have one more class to get through today, so back to your room you go." Chichiri yelped, looked at the few students entering the door and he stood, moving at a near run for the door to get to his class on time. Some students tittered at the typically calm teacher running in a hurry. Taka just shook his head in amusement and started to prep for this class, his last for the day and week.

Gen went back to her dorm, knowing her roommate had a class now and she could settle in for awhile in peace and quiet. She reached for her lap top and plugged in to the net, using wireless DSL as it was quicker then the school's connection. Plus her Everquest wouldn't play on dial up. That horrible thought just made her shudder. However, the world of Norrath was not her destination today. Today she was going to chat with friends. She glanced at the time, seeing she was 10 minutes late. Damn her sore throat, although she had seen Mitsukake. She just had to stop meeting her dream people, it was scaring her.

She logged onto a group that she had been part of for so long, one of a few friends back home and their friends from elsewhere. There were close to 20 of them and most were online waiting when she logged in. The all greeted her in a burst of hello's, a "Fuckin took ya long enough" which was Kouji and one "Go Away", which came from her younger brother, Tad.

The next hour was an enjoyable time spent talking with friends, her fingers flying over her keyboard as she talked in English about her experiences. However she made no mention of her dream people, other then to say her religion and science teacher was a HOTTIE. This was met with a round of surprised comments from the others, especially when they found out he was a guy. She never could get them to comprehend she was not a lesbian it would seem. Although Tad did say he wanted pictures fo the Hottie.

She was just telling them about becoming a tutor and going to the meeting tomorrow when Suki arrived in the room. She did not approach Gen, maybe it was that she was finally beginning to like her life and didn't want it threatened, or she just got it through her head that Gen didn't want to talk when she was doing other things, which was always. The girl just greeted her and sat down at her desk. Although Gen did notice the annoying curious looks that her roomie was giving her.

She continued to talk to her friends until, one by one, they all logged off claiming sleepiness as the reason. 

After signing off with Tad and Kouji, who were the last to leave the chat room, Gen began to do her required reading. Why she was even required to take a conversational english course, she didn't know. But it was required of the cirriculum and she took it. It had to be her most boring and her easiest class, of course. She did that one first, reading the required material, laughing with amusement when it told her to repeat the phrases outloud for practice.

Laughing was to be her mistake. Suki, taking a chance, jumped on herlaughter and began to question her about what was so humorous. Gen took a few minutes to try and explain it, but it ended badly. Mostly with Gen yelling and putting her impressive cursing vocabulary to work before storming out of the room, light jacket in her hands.

Would that girl ever learn?

She burst from her dorm, pulling her jacket on as she went and stopped dead in her tracks. Ahead of her was Chichiri, Chiriko, Tamahome and Mitsukake. She stood still for about 20 seconds and then Tamahome moved slightly and the one that she had named Miaka was visible.

She had just decided to try and go quietly back inside, hoping they hadn't seen her when Chichiri looked right up at her, and said something. They all turned to look in her direction and she wanted to just run more then anything. Chiriko broke from the group and jogged lightly over to her.

"Hi, Genevieve. Are you well?" Gen gave a nod. "It's just Gen, Chiriko. And I am feeling better. Mitsukake helped me out." Chiriko nodded and looked back over his shoulder. He could tell from the way the others were watching them, and Miaka was bouncing from one foot to the next that they wanted Tasuki to join them. What the hell. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Gen looked between the two groups. "I don't know if they would want me to intrude. Thank you for asking." Chiriko felt a small panic. He wanted her to join them, he knew the others did also. Plus he wanted Chichiri to be happy again. He knew Tasuki would be the key to that happiness. "Oh come on, the others would want you to join too. Trust me." Gen looked at him and then against her better judgement, she agreed. Chiriko could almost feel the waves of happiness and excitement coming from Miaka as they approached the group. Chichiri looked like his dreams were about to come true, but the monk was quick to guard these from his face as Gen and Chiriko arrived at the group.

He started to make the introductions to Gen and she stopped him. "I know most of them Chiriko. Ri-sensei. Sukunami-sensei. Mitsukake and you must be Miaka." The others stared at Gen in surprise. They all felt hope surge in their souls and hearts that she remembered their miko. They didn't express this though, at least all but Miaka. The girl just launched herself at her last Seishi and hugged this new Tasuki for all she was worth.

Gen tried to not step back in surprise, really. And she really didn't realize that Chichiri was standing back there to catch her when she tripped slightly. Taka had grabbed his wife around the waist, pulling her back to him and Chichiri had caught his Tasuki in turn. Gen was very confused by the greeting given to her by this girl, but she took it in stride and something about this girl said that she did not deserve the usual irritation that Gen usually held for women in general and she immediately liked her.

The others had been watching for this it would seem, and a tense feeling evaporated when Gen smiled with friendship showing at the Miko. Gen was soon very comfortable with the group, a feeling she had never had with other people besides Kouji and her online friends.

Chichiri was trying his hardest to not stare at her, really he was. It was at this moment he wished he had his mask. And he wished for it with his whole being. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. Sure, Tasuki ... Gen, was his student, but she was also the love of his life, and of his previous one. He didn't know if he could deal with this much longer. He loved Tasuki, that was all there was to it.

They were currently seated at a large table in a small restraunt that not many knew about. Keisuke was co-owner and they came here often. Maybe it was for the best that Gen was seated on his right, and not across from him. At least he didn't have to look up and see her each time. Next to her was Chiriko, with Mitsukake on his left followed by Taka and then Miaka across from Chichiri. The conversation had been very friendly and comfortable. Miaka, of course, was taking control of it, questioning Gen about her childhood. Chichiri forced himself back to the conversation at hand and had just started to get interested in it, and not just because he could listen to Gen's voice forever when an amused voice sounded from behind them. HOW THE HELL DID HE MISS THOSE TWO COMING IN, NO DA?

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? And we weren't invited? I'm very disappointed."

Gen froze slightly at the husky, seductive voice behind her. Looking up and back, she found her self face to face with Hotohori and a female Nuriko. Does this mean that Nuriko had always been a woman? This confused her a bit and her shock and confusion must have showed on her face. Nuriko's next statement was directed solely at Gen.

"What took ya so long, Tasuki?" 

The flood gates opened.

(I do not own Everquest, it is owned by SOE (SOny Online Entertainment). Norrath is theirs too.) 


	4. Reunited

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story. This chapter is sappy.

Gen gasped in pain as she felt a massive headache come on. She barely heard Chichiri's call to her. All she was truely aware of was the memories swarming in her head. From somewhere, she felt herself slipping and became slowly aware of strong arms holding her upright. 

Opening amber eyes, she was not surprised to find herself staring into Chichiri's beautiful eyes and was very pleased to notice that this time around he had both of them. However the throbbing in her head diminished some of the pleasure of fully seeing the man she loved once again. with a growl, Tasuki pushed up from her position in Chichiri's lap and glared at the woman before her "DAMN IT, NURIKO. DID YA' HAVE TO DO THAT HERE? NOW I GOT A FUCKIN' HEADACHE WORSE THEN A HANGOVER FROM TO MUCH DAMN SAKE!"

The restraunt was silent and suddenly Tasuki was very glad that there were no other people in the room other then their small group. She glanced around the table and was surprised to see the rest of the group staring at her in wonder and hope. "What? I gotta headache and it's all Nuriko's damn fault, as usual. Baka" She gave a small fanged grin at the former crossdresser.

The group burst into laughter at this and Miaka launched herself at Tasuki. "OH, Tasuki. I'm so glad you are here." The former bandit just laughed as she hugged her beloved Miko. "Me too, Miaka, me too."

She looked around the group, opened eyes and mind taking in the faces of her beloved friends from a time long past. Finally her eyes landed on the one who held her heart. Her smile turned from wide and overjoyed to loving and overjoyed. Her eyes softened and she looked up at Chichiri as he now towered over her small frame. "Oh, Chiri-chan." With that their lips met and the others and the room disappeared.

Much later, back at Miaka and Taka's apartment, the rest of the Seishi refused to even think of the fact that Chichiri was now Tasuki's teacher. They all knew that if the two didn't get their feelings under control by Sunday, it would be discussed, but for now, they were content to let them be and have the time together they needed so desperately.

Tasuki currently was sitting in Chichiri's lap, her head resting on the former monk's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Nuriko and Hotohori were talking about how they had met in this life and then met Miaka. She had already heard how Mitsukake and Chiriko found them. The only story she hadn't heard was Chichiri's, but she knew that would come.

She figured it must have been the busy day or the remaining headache from her 'awakening' but the next thing she realized was that Chichiri was rising, with her in his arms and she blinked owlishly up at him. "Chiri?" He smiled down at Tasuki "Shhhh, you need sleep, no da." She smiled against his neck and let herself be carried from the room, although she did wake up enough to wish her friends a good night. She was very curious as Chichiri entered a room and lowered her onto the bed. 

Raising her head slightly, she looked around the room. No personal touches, so she figured this must be a guest room. "Chichiri?"

She watched him sit on the edge of the bed. "We all know how bad the headache is, no da. Just rest, you can sleep here tonight, no da." She nodded at him "Ok, good night, Chiri-chan." With that her eyes closed and she fell asleep, slipping into blissfullness, away from her headache.

Chichiri watched her fall asleep, doubt assailing him. She hadn't said she loved him yet. He still loved Tasuki, even though the bandit had been reborn as a woman. He wondered if he was the only one that had been waiting for her to return, if she still felt for him. He thought she did, after all she had those sketches of him in her book, so hope welled within him that she still remembered. He rose, his heart calling out to Suzaku that she still loved him. It was as he left the room that he remembered that she was his student and any relationship they had, no matter how right, was not allowed. He wanted to choke on his despair but held it inside and put on a mask, not one of his fake ones from the book, but one that hid his emotions just the same. Taka saw right through it.

"Hey, Chichiri. We know you have had an exhausting day. Why don't you rest. We can discuss things tomorrow when this has all calmed down." Chichiri stared at Taka, and for a moment he thought he saw Tamahome sitting there. His gaze covered the others and he was taken back to a time when they all looked the same (mostly), but wore different clothes. He blinked and the vision faded, leaving the others to stare at him curiously. 

He shook his head "Where would I sleep then, no da?" He didn't know why he asked, but he just needed to maybe have this permission from his oldest friends, as well as his fellow teacher. Just tonight he wanted to toss the rules of this world aside and join his love like times before, in another life.

The others seemed to know this and understanding and pity showed in their eyes. They knew the sacrifices that Tasuki and Chichiri would be making this semester would be more then Taka and Miaka had faced since Taka was reborn in this world, and Nuriko and Hotohori as well. None of them were willing to deny Chichiri or Tasuki this time. 

Taka looked into the monks eyes and smiled "I think Tasuki won't take up the bed, you can crash next to her tonight."

The others watched with satisfaction as a happy look crossed Chichiri's face and he nodded good night to them all and left to join Tasuki in the spare room.

The others were quiet for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Miaka's tear choked voice brought their attention to her. "It's not fair."

The other nodded, having been thinking the same thing, but there was nothing they could do. It would cost Chichiri his job and Tasuki would probably be forced to return to the United States. Tamahome was quiet though, gazing at his wife in thought.

"You are right, Miaka. It's not fair. The only solution I can see is to have the two act like teacher and student for now and then hopefully let our house be a refuge to them on the weekend. After all the time we spent looking for Tasuki and watching Chichiri grow a bit more unhappy with each passing day, I don't have the heart to keep them apart when they are here."

The others were nodding at this. They all realized the situation was not ideal, but if they could provide a place of refuge for their friends, then maybe that would be enough for Tasuki and Chichiri, at least for now.

Tasuki stretched slightly as she woke, stopping with shock when her fingers curled around chest hair. She instantly became aware of the hard male body under her head, the beating of a familiar heartbeat and the soft noises that were so familiar. The ones Chichiri made during sleep.

Raising her head slowly, her heart skipped a beat at the man she lay curled against and on. This was her Chichiri. No longer would she have to talk to his sketch, but she had him here in the flesh. And not just him, all her friends were there. The only seeming difference was herself.

She rose slowly, careful to not wake the beautiful man in the bed and walked to the full length mirror attached to the back of the door. For the first time in a long time, not since her womanly attributes had developed, she molded her shirt to her body. Someone, Chichiri she suspected, had removed her pants and sweatshirt and now she stood in a t-shirt and her panties. 

Looking at herself, she studied her womanly curves, wondering if Chichiri would find her as attractive in this form as he had found her in her previous one. She turned to the side, her gaze moving down her small breasts to her flat stomach. She must admit, compaired to all the fashion magazines out there, her body was nicely put together. Asthetically pleasing for any man to look at. 

However, Chichiri wasn't just any man, he was the one of her dreams, the man she had spent a good portion of her past life with. Her main thought was would she please him in this new body. When she had just been Gen, she had never given much thought to what a woman must go through when she became sexually active. She hadn't been interested in the guys in school, although she did find a few cute. She knew now that she was waiting for Chichiri again. 

Catching movement in the mirror, she looked past herself and towards the bed to find Chichiri leaning up on his elbows, watching her look at herself with an amused, if not confused gaze.

She felt her face flush as she dropped her hands, her shirt unmolding from her form and she turned to move back to the bed he inhabited.

He watched Tasuki approach, her face red and he waited for her to kneel beside him on the bed before he spoke, as it would appear she wasn't getting any closer.

"I never knew you were attracted to the female body, Tas-chan no da." His teasing voice caused her face to heat up a bit more.

"I just never..." she paused and looked up into his face, her eyes roaming over his comforting visage. He encouraged her to finish.

She made a few false starts and then changed her tactic a bit. "Do you find this form repulsive?"

Chichiri blinked in surprise at the seemingly different topic. "Da?" She turned a bit more red. "I thought so." and turned glumily away from him.

He grabbed her and pulled her back around towards him. "Oh, Tasuki. I do not find this form repulsive, far from it actually, no da." She was watching him closely now, listening to his words, watching his face for his expressions. He knew that she liked to watch him without his mask and was glad it wasn't on this time. 

"You will always be beautiful to me, no matter what form you take, no da!" He felt a rush of joy as she relaxed at his words and he once again asked his question. "Why were you looking at yourself like that, no da?"

She blushed again and looked away but explained this time. "Not since this body began it's natural changes when I was younger have I truely paid it more attention then what was needed to be decent in public. I have never really given any thought to how I might look to a man. I am not saying I wasn't attracted to men, I was. I knew that I was straight in this body, but I also knew that if I had been born a man, I would have been attracted to men. I understand now why." She looked to him for understanding to find him smiling at her in a way that melted her insides.

He laid back down on the bed and looked to her with invitation in his eyes. She laid by his side, her head on his shoulder. "I am surprised we were all able to find each other in this time." She smiled as his arms came around her and pulled her more securly to his side.

Chichiri nodded to her "Yes, we have all commented on that at one point or another. Although we always wondered if we would ever find you. Life never seemed complete till last night. Well, really on Monday when Taka found you at the airport, no da." 

She smiled against him "I'm glad he did. I'm glad to be here with you." Her voice trailed off and they lay for the longest time, just content to hold each other again at long last.

Miaka and Nuriko stood outside the door, ears pressed to the wall, listening to the soft talk of Chichiri and Tasuki. They were both grinning like mad at each other over the kawaii conversation. To think that their Tasuki would be doubtful of her female body was beyond funny to them, and adorable. They remembered their Tasuki never showed any fear to anyone, but then they had never really seen Tasuki with Chichiri before, maybe the bandit had let down in front of the monk when they were alone.

Both the women gave a loud scream of surprise and a bit of fear at the loud voice that called from inside the room, very close to them "REKKA SHINEN". The girls both fell to the ground in shock and fear. From the living room they hear the sound of running feet and from the bedroom, loud laughter and a soft male groan.

Taka and Hotohori come to a skidding stop at the end of the hallway, wide eyes taking in the undignified way their wives are sprawled on the floor and then the nearly bent double form of Tasuki laughing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt and ummmm, nothing else?

The guys looked past her to where Chichiri was standing behind her, shirtless, shaking his head in dismay. He quickly stepped between her and Miaka and Nuriko, as the two get up and make threatening moves towards Tasuki, who is still laughing to hard to do much else.

Taka and Hotohori just shake their heads. "Were you two spying on them?" Hotohori is trying to sound like his old regal self, although failing miserably at the memory of the sight of his wife in an undignified heap on the floor with Miaka.

Chichiri is trying not to laugh by now, seeing as Tasuki is still laughing uncontrollably. "That wasn't very nice of you girls to listen to a private conversation, no da." 

After a few more minutes of laughter and half hearted threats it was decided the group would seperate and freshen up to go out to breakfast. Calls were made to Mitsukake and Chiriko and Hotohori and Nuriko waited patiently for the other two couples to change into clothes for breakfast.

Tasuki was sitting on the bed, still wearing no pants, watching Chichiri pull his shirt on and hunt for his socks. She didn't really know where her pants or shirt was, but for now she was enjoying the sight of him dressing. He glanced up and smiled at her. "Your clothes are over there, no da." She followed his gaze to a before ignored dresser where her jeans and sweatshirt lay folded on top, along with her socks. She looked down at the shirt she wore. "Whose shirt is this anyways?"

Chichiri smiled at her and retrieved her clothes as she climbed from the bed. "It's mine, no da. I spend most of my weekends over here with Taka and Miaka. It does get lonely living alone all week, no da." She smiled at him and lifted the neckline of the shirt to her nose and inhaled his scent. "Oh, it smells like you, no da. Can I keep it?" She smiled innocently at him as she stood and pulled the shirt off, seemingly over her previous hestitancy about him liking her body.

She glanced to him as she put the shirt on the bed and found him gripping her clothes in a death grip and staring at her almost naked body as if it was the greatest treasure in the world. She blushed deeply and walked to him, his eyes moving down her body and watching the way her body moved as she walked. He looked back up into her eyes when she cleared her throat and realized she was standing right in front of him now. She pulled lightly on her sweatshirt and jeans and he released them to her and only when she was fully dressed did he find that he could once again think coherently and speak as well. 

She turned back to him and smiled, breaking him from whatever spell he was under and he moved towards her, taking her into his arms. "Tasuki, trust me when I say I find whatever form you take to be absolutely beautiful, no da."

Chichiri was pleased with the blush that covered her face and neck and leaned down to kiss her, their lips meeting and throwing all other thought out the window for both of them. When they finally broke apart for air, her whispered words washed the last remaining doubts away. "I love you, Chichiri." 

"I love you too, no da." 


	5. Roadbumps!

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story.

The couples seperated into seperate vehicles to meet for breakfast. Tasuki had claimed she would need to return to the dorms and get a few things after breakfast if she was to spend the weekend at Miaka and Taka's, having jumped at the chance to be with Chichiri all weekend. Chichiri had volunteered to run her back to the dorms after breakfast as he had to teach one class that day about noon. That would give her time to finish her homework as well.

The ride over to the restraunt started out quiet at first, Tasuki once again looking out the window at her surroundings. Chichiri kept giving her small glances as he drove but said nothing. 

Tasuki was not sure how the thought came to her, but she suddenly yelped. "Hey!"

Chichiri jumped slightly but settled back in his seat and gave her a quick, alarmed glance. "What is it, no da?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Have you noticed that our Japanese is accented? The Seishi Seven and Miaka's? I had wondered on it. We all have accents from Konan." Chichiri cast another glance at her and smiled at her triumphant look. Truthfully he had never really noticed that, but now that she had pointed it out, it was definately true. 

"Do you have a Konan accent when you speak English, no da?" She turned to look at him, mouth open for a moment and then turned away, but not before he caught her blush.

"Why do you blush, no da?" He was curious now. "It was just a simple question, no da."

She shook her head "No, my konan accent only shows in my Japanese and Chinese." Chichiri nodded "Well, Genrou did not know English, so that is probably the reason, no da." She gave a nod and looked at a small restraunt as they pulled up and smiled with a wave at her friends standing waiting for them.

Chichiri watched her talk with their friends, he had missed Tasuki, and it wasn't until now that he realized how jealous and lonely he really had felt before she had been found. Granted she was not in the form he had dreamed about, but to have that familiar ki so close to him was enough to show him that this truely was his love. 

The conversation was interrupted by a very different ring on a cell phone. Chichiri had never heard it before. However, Tasuki gave a yelp and pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and groaned at the number she saw there. "Excuse me." With that she pushed back from the table and rose as she answered the phone.

The others heard her greet the person in English before she got out of range. 

Tasuki let a groan escape when she saw the familiar number. 'Oh, Suzaku. How could my mother give him my number here?' She excused herself from her friends and then pushed away as she answered the call and spoke. "Hello?"

She already knew who it was, Dennis. The man was annoying. He had been in her German class and had fallen for her. No matter what she had done to discourage him, he never gave up. Then he had met her mother. Her darling mother had seemed to think this courteous young man was just what her daughter needed to become a woman and settle down. She had forever been pushing them together. She resigned herself to the fate of having to deal with this man. She knew from experience that if she didn't answer on the first call he would insistantly call back repeatedly until she answered her phone.

"Hello, my sweet buttercup." was the first thing she heard.

It caused her to growl into the receiver. "I am not your sweet buttercup, Dennis. I'm not even yours. Never have been, never will be. What the hell do you want and why the fuck are you calling me?"

As usual he was determined to ignore her bad manners. "Well, my darling. I just hadn't heard from you all week and wanted to know if you were well. I was very surprised when you didn't call me after you arrived in Tokyo. Is the jet lag still making you sleepy? You should be resting, I wouldn't want my darling to be sick and tired in a strange country. I wish you would have stayed in New Mexico, we could have gone to NMSU-A together and I could have taken care of you..." He continued to talk, but by this point Tasuki was no longer listening. Truthfully the phone wasn't even to her ear anymore. She was counting slowly. First in English, then Japanese then 3 different chinese dialects and then in Spanish. When she realized she was still upset she counted in German and French as well. 

She put the phone back to her ear only to hear "... so will you marry me when you get back to the United States at the end of the semester?"

She lost it.

Chichiri and the others watched her walk outside and speak into the phone. Chiri watched the spikes of her ki as the person she was talking too obviously was irritating her. The others watched her aggitated movements and blinked in surprise when she put the phone down and started to mumble under her breath, taking deep breathe's. When she appeared a bit calmer, she put the phone back to her ear and almost immediately had a very shocked look on her face.

Then her ki burned bright red and flared like a fire cracker. Chichiri was out of his seat in an instant and to the door. As soon as it opened they all heard her shouting into the phone, her accent swiftly going from almost non existant to deep southwestern, like from an old wild west movie. She didn't seem to realize she was doing it either.

"...DON'T FUCKIN CARE WHO YOU ARE AND IF MY FUCKIN MOTHER LIKES YA. IF SHE LIKES YA THAT FUCKIN MUCH THEN LET HER MARRY YOUR SORRY ASS, YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKA. I SWEAR I HAVE HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR DAMN THICKHEADEDNESS. I REFUSE TO MARRY YOU, YOU ARE NOT MY TYPE, I AM NOT YOUR DARLING, I AM NOT YOUR BUTTERCUP AND I NEVER WILL BE." 

By now her face was red and Chichiri yelped and grabbed the phone from her hands and Taka came up and held her back as she went for Chichiri and her phone, still screaming, now cursing Taka as well as the man on the phone. "Let me go, damn it Obake-chan. I'm going to leap thrugh that phone and tear his head off and then yours, Tama, for interfering." The blue headed man stepped back from her and Taka and spoken in formal english. "Hello?"

A stunned male voice responded in kind. "Hello. Who is this?"

Chichiri immediately didn't like the grating voice of the fellow. "I am Houjun. What did you do to Gen-chan to upset her so much?" 

The man responded that he had asked her to marry him, but apparently she was not thinking correctly and the jet lag must be getting to her cause she turned him down. Chichiri was quiet for a moment and the man's voice sounded again "Are you there man? Is she calm now so I can talk to her?" 

Chichiri looked up at the barely restrained fury in his love's eyes before he spoke again. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that is a wise idea. She doesn't seem to want to accept your proposal and trust me, she is not suffering from jet lag."

The man on the other end spoke up, impatience in his voice. "Listen man, I don't know who you think you are, but put my fiancee back on the line. I swear, you better keep your hands off of her or I" click

Chichiri hung up the phone and then turned it off completely. He looked up into Tasuki's eyes and smiled. "Well, you have a fiancee, no da?"

He was only have joking and her reaction was just as he hoped it would be. "IS THAT WHAT THAT FUCKER TOLD YOU? I SWEAR, THAT FUCKIN' RETARD CAN'T GET IT THROUGH HI" her voice trailed off when Chichiri leaned in and kissed her.

Taka squeeked and let her go with the smallest of pushes towards Chichiri and bolted back inside to the others.

A few moments later, Tasuki was staring with stary eyes at Chichiri, the reason he had kissed her in the first place completely forgotten. He was staring down into her flushed face and handed her back the phone. "I just wanted to make sure. To know you didn't have someone waiting back home for you, no da." She shook her head "No, I don't have anyone. You are the only one for me and were even before I got my memories back, no da." The last bit said with an impish grin that caused Chichiri to smile at her use of his catch phrase. "Good, no da." 

With that he lead her back into the restraunt to finish breakfast.

The rest of the weekend sped by, spent wrapped up in his arms at night and catching up with her friends during the day. Monday night, alone in her bed at the dorms was lonely and Tasuki layed there for a long time wishing she could fall asleep. Tomorrow was Tuesday and she would be able to see Chichiri again. This semester was going to kill her, no da. With these thoughts she drifted off to sleep.

First period, Chichiri's, found her gazing at him for about five minutes before she realized that she was going to have to earn this credit and the other and not use the excuse that he was distracting her. Besides if he could teach a class, or two, with her in it, then she could pass them after all. She dilegently began to take notes on her laptop, as did a few other students and she looked up at one point, having been completely engrossed in the discussion around her to look at him and then gave a quick fanged smile as their eyes met. She returned to her note taking.

Chichiri could have wept. Thank Suzaku that Tasuki was taking his classes seriously. He had seen her spaced look at the start of class and didn't want to have to spend their precious time on the weekends tutoring her so she could pass his class. He wouldn't have let her fail, but he didn't want to favor her either. However within ten minutes of staring she had began to take notes and participate a little in the discussion. 

Toward the end of class he was starting to enjoy the discussion and when she gave the fanged smile and then responded quite passionately about something just a moment later, he slipped. "That is a very good point Smith-san, no da." He stopped in shock for half a second and then pulled his scattered thoughts together and also complimented the other students for their insight. His gaze hit her for a minute to see her staring at him, and he knew she had caught his slip, even if no one else had. At least he hadn't called her Tasuki. Oh Suzaku, this was harder then it looked, no da.

Class was over and she hung back, taking a little extra time to pack her laptop and textbook into her bag, hoping to talk to Chichiri. She looked up and realized that she was the last student and she approached him. "Ri-sensei. Thank you for letting me catch up on last weeks class." She waited for him to turn and smile down at her. "It was alright, Smith-san, no da. I understood completely."

He looked around very swiftly and then switched to an ancient form of Chinese, his voice low. "I am sorry, I will try better to catch my slip in the future, no da." She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling up at him and she responded in kind, "At least you didn't call me Tasuki, Chichiri. Don't worry about it, we will just have to be extra careful it would seem." She switched back to Japanese. "Great discussion today, by the way. I am not use to that kind of class participation in the United States. I hope my note taking was adequate today, as I didn't want to miss a moment of the discussion." She smiled at him and put her back pack on. "I'll see you on Friday, no da." She gave him a swift wave and walked from the building, heading to lunch to sit with Chiriko.

Chichiri gave a small sigh as he watched her walk out, his eyes dropping for a moment to watch her butt before he caught himself. Definately going to have to watch that here. 

The weeks flowed, Chichiri and Tasuki performing what was becoming an ever increasing difficult performance as their weekend meetings grew more and more steamy. With the minimum of discussions, Tasuki had gone on birth control and had given herself fully to Chichiri a month later. A month had passed since then and Tasuki was getting very frustrated with her love.

It was fast approaching the end of November and she knew that her mother wanted her home for Christmas and New Years, but she had yet to discuss anything with Miaka and the other Seishi, especially Chichiri. 

He was definately starting to confuse her. Since they had started their physical relationship again he had grown more distant in almost all aspects of their contact. He no longer called on her to answer questions in class, although he always graded her papers fairly and she did very well in his class. He seemed to have pulled back into himself and Tasuki got the idea that he would be wearing that damn mask of his if he could again. The only time that he really made her feel special anymore was at night on their weekends. During those short hours, he would hold her, love her. Make her feel feminine, although she would never admit it. Then he would hold her till she fell asleep and she always awoke within his warm embrace. 

It just wasn't enough though. She wanted her Chichiri back, the one from when she had been a bandit. She knew he worried for his job and she had requested that she transfer to another class for next semester. She claimed that the discussions in his class went by so fast that she had problems keeping up and had heard the other class was a bit slower in their discussions. The administration had agreed to this, and she would start the next semester with a new teacher. She really hoped that this would help him with whatever his problems were.

It was now Thursday, her mother had given her a deadline of Saturday if she was going to be going home for christmas and she still hadn't responded. 

Tasuki exitted the office, having changed her schedule for next semester and went towards Chichiri's office, to tell him of the change. She felt a bit of doubt that she had not discussed it with him first, but there really had been no time and she had to get that schedule change in today for it to take place. She hoped he would be in there.

Chichiri was sitting at his desk, grading papers when he felt someone enter the room and sighed to himself silently when a fellow teacher walked in. Her name was Kaoru and she had been coming on to him lately and hiding it less and less each time. He didn't know how many times it would take for her to get it through her head that he just wasn't interested in her. He looked up as she sat on the edge of his desk. "Yes Umito-san?" 

"Oh, Houjun, I was just thinking that you need a date for the staff dinner coming up and so do I, so I think you should invite me." He sighed to himself. He should have seen it coming, truthfully. He wasn't going to the dinner, as he would not be able to take the one he wanted, so he just didn't want to go.

"I'm sorry, Umito-san, but I have plans that night that were made before the dinner was announced, so I will not be attending." He hoped that this would get her to back off. Nope.

"Oh, Houjun, don't you think you could cancel them? I just don't want to go alone and thought you could take me..." her voice died off with his shaking head. "I'm sorry, I can not cancel my previous plans. You should ask Yukimora to take you, I'm sure he would be delighted."

She however was not to be determined. "Oh no, I don't want to go with him, just you." When he began to shake his head again she decided enough of this and grabbed his chin and planted her lips on him.

Chichiri sat in shock for all of half a moment and then placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away as a shocked gasp came to his ears. He turned with growing dread to the door and saw Tasuki standing there, shock and dismay on her face, but all of that was over ridden by the deep pain and hurt in her eyes as she took two steps back. The other teacher looked back at the American student with indifference and a bit of irritation. How dare this child interrupt them. 

Tasuki stared in shock at the sight of her Chichiri kissing another woman and watched as he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away. She didn't really see the disgust on his face, all she saw was betrayal. Her Chichiri had ... She took a few steps back when the other teacher turned around and glared at her. She had never met this woman, although had seen her a few times. The intruding teacher stood and walked from the room, calling over her shoulder to Chichiri as she went. "I will be expecting you at 7. Don't be late." She gave a final smirk to Tasuki as she walked past her and out the door.

Chichiri stared after the other teacher and then his eyes darted to Tasuki's pale face. With a quick motion, the door of his room slammed shut and she rounded on it, checking the handle. He knew that he couldn't let her escape, or she would be lost to him completely. He had to make her understand.

"Tasuki?"

She turned around, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Is that why? Is that why you have been treating me the way you have? I thought you had waited for me, Chiri. Is it that once you found me, I was not enough for you anymore? How could you?"

She turned and tried the door again,flinching and drawing back when she felt him approach. "I didn't kiss her, she kissed me." Tasuki looked up into his face, every stubborn molecule in her body showing it's nature in her stance. "What was that 'pick me up at 7' crap then, huh? How could ya fuckin' do this to me, Chichiri?" She was yelling at him now and he stood there, watching her and took it all. He didn't know how to explain. If only he had sat her down and explained how difficult it was for him to hold his side up. To not call her Tasuki out in class, to have to switch from indifferent teacher to lover on the weekend was tearing at him. All he wanted to do was be able to approach her in the hallway and kiss her, but he couldn't and it was eatting at him.

He opened his mouth to tell her all this when she cut him off. "Sorry, Chichiri, please let me out." He blinked at the cold tone in her voice and felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest when she turned from him. Even when he reached out to touch her, he got no response. She had completely cut him off.

With a sigh he unlocked the door and she left quickly. He watched her leave, knowing the conversation would have to wait till the next night which was Friday before he could talk to her. 

He did not expect her to miss her class and then refuse to go to Miaka's over the weekend. A week passed and she attended his classes, but she took notes, kept herself over her laptop and did not even try to participate in the discussion. Another week went by and he was shocked to find out how thin she had become when he got close to her. 

Miaka sat in silence as she listened to what had happened. She had been pestering Chichiri to find out why Tasuki was avoiding them, thinking it was something she had done to the former bandit, only to find out that some woman had thrown herself at the monk and Tasuki had seen it all. Taka had agreed with Chichiri's description of the woman. She made passes at all the younger male teachers and Miaka fought back the temptation to beat this woman to a pulp when Taka admitted her coming on to him at one point. She trusted her Taka though. However, this woman had come between two of her Seishi and one of them was very hot headed and stubborn. This required a woman's touch now.

Tasuki looked up from her open suitcase towards the door when there was a knock. With a sigh she placed the folded shirt that she was holding in the case and closed it, walking to the door. It really didn't surprise her when she found Miaka there, knowing her Miko would seek her out eventually. "Hello, Miaka."

Her friend smiled to her, but it quickly fled her face when she saw the suitcase. "Are you leaving, Gen-chan?" Tasuki just smiled slightly and let her friend come into the room. "Don't call me Gen-chan. It doesn't feel right coming from you. I'm going back to New Mexico. I leave this evening."

She opened it back up and continued to pack. Miaka found herself watching helplessly, her mind blank. Chichiri's distressed face popped into her mind "What about Chichiri? Does he know you are leaving?"

She watched the transformation take over her friend and almost blanched at the dead look in Tasuki's eyes when she replied "I don't think he cares all that much anymore, especially about me." Miaka studied her friend, seeing that Chiri had been correct in his impression that Tasuki had lost weight. She knew she might be the only one to get through to her hotheaded warrior.

"Please don't let that horrible woman destroy your relationship with Chichiri, Tasuki. She comes on to all young male teachers here. She even came on to Mitsukake and my Taka. Chichiri hates her. Don't let her break you two up."

Tasuki had stopped packing to look at her friend. Miaka almost cried at the pain in her eyes. "I figured when I saw that same woman hitting on my math teacher. However, it doesn't change anything. Chichiri had already left me before that incident." She began to explain his behavior to Miaka as she finished her packing and sat down on the bed. She told her of her feelings of abandonment by the former monk and how he only showed her affection at night, when they were alone.

Miaka opened her mouth to tell Tasuki that she was mistaken, that it was all in her imagination when she stopped, a memory from a few weeks back coming to the fore. She had found it very strange that Tasuki and Chichiri had been sitting at different ends of the table while they had dined out and how Chichiri had not really even directed any conversation towards his bandit the whole evening.

Tasuki watched Miaka's face and realized she had seen it also. "I just can't deal with that anymore, Miaka. I will be back next semester and maybe we can work out a schedule to see you, because I have missed the rest of you so much, but I can't deal with Chichiri anymore. I love him so much and I always will, I know that. But apparently he is not ready for this relationship and unless he realizes that there are ways around our current dilemma that don't involve ignoring me right out, I just can't be around him. It hurts too much."

With that, Tasuki looked at the time and grabbed her heavy jacket and the grabbed a large shopping bag with wrapped gifts and handed them to Miaka. "I had planned to pass these to Taka to give to you all, but I'll just give them to you. Christmas gifts. I will see you when I return. They are all clearly labelled." She hugged the befused Miaka and grabbed her bag and made her way downstairs to the waiting cab that had just pulled up to take her to the airport.

Just before she got into the taxi, she looked up and saw a shock of blue hair, the man who was crushing her heart was watching her intently. Without knowing why, she raised one hand in a farewell wave and climbed in, not looking back, completely missing the destroyed look on her love's face as he watched her leave.

Miaka saw it though. She moved slowly to Chichiri's side and took in the pain on his face. He glanced down at her, not bothering to mask his misery from his Miko and then to Taka, who took the present bag from his wife and shot a glance at the taxi as it turned the corner and was out of sight. "Let's go home." 


	6. Home, in more ways then one!

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story.

The flight home had to be one of the longest flights she had ever taken. It just seemed to drag on. Maybe it was because it was taking her from her friends and love. Tasuki had known the moment she stepped foot on the plane that she didn't want to leave him like this. She was being stubborn and just couldn't let go of her pride to accept it enough to talk to him. She loved him so much and was so hurt by it.

By the time she touched down in El Paso and started to gather her carry on, she had decided that she would call Miaka and let her know she was safe and use this time in New Mexico to come to grips with it all. Suddenly she was very glad she had gotten Chichiri that gift. Walking down the hall of the airport to meet her family, she just hoped that he would still love her when she returned and that she hadn't destroyed all by running as she had.

For now though, she needed rest, she was tired and grumpy and really just not feeling well at all. She had refused herself the luxury of seeking out Mitsukake in the last few weeks, knowing that he would help her, but also knowing that her mysterious illness would reach the others and didn't want to have to deal with them right now. She had even been avoiding Chiriko, although he had managed to worm his way back into having lunch with her that last week and he was smart enough to not bring up Chichiri. She had been glad to have her friend around her and it had cheered her from her self impossed solitude.

Upon coming downstairs, she looks around and a wave of disappointment fills her when she doesn't see her family at all. Grumbling under her breath in Japanese, she slings her bag farther up on her shoulder. "Couldn't even fucking be here to pick me up, knowing I was coming in today." She would have continued, but a familiar voice sounds behind her.

"KNOCK KNOCK.  
WHO'S THERE IT'S KOUJI BLAH BLAH, KOUJI WHO.  
KOUJI, THE FRIEND OF GENROU." 

Tasuki froze and then spun around to face her best friend. "Kouji" 

The man smiled down at his best buddy and they linked arms, twirling in circles. Only she would call him that, the rest of the world knew him as Larry. However, as children they had played bandit a few times and she had called him Kouji while they played and he had called her Genrou, so the names had stuck.

"Well, who else were ya expectin?" She glared at him and allowed him to take her bag as they walked towards baggage claim. "Oh, maybe my parents? I don't know."

Kouji smiled at her "Well, your brother broke his arm last night and so they called me and asked if I could come down here to get some annoying girl as they were in the ER forever it would seem." He glanced down at her and she smiled at him. "Tad?" He gave a nod and she shook his head. "That boy is accident prone. He should invest in casts. Is he ok?"

Kouji nodded and grabbed her bag, not allowing her to carry anything. She seemed very thin to him. "Yep, clean break, one of his nicest ones." She chuckled and he led the way outside to his car, putting the bags in the back and then they were off, back to Alamogordo.

The remaining Seishi and their Miko were in Taka and Miaka's apartment, watching a movie. None of them were really into it, but they had all managed to gravitate towards their Miko's house not soon after Tasuki had taken off, they had come and gone to take care of business, but were once again all together. It was getting later in the afternoon and the movie was just finishing, credits rolling, when the phone rang.

Chichiri looked at it and repressed the urge to jump for it, wanting to know if it was Tasuki on the other end. However, this was not his home and he had no right to do so, and so he just watched as Miaka stood and answered the phone calmly.

He felt his heart would stop when she suddenly smiled and yelped into the phone. "Tasuki."

Tasuki had only been home for about 30 minutes when the need to talk to her Miko became overwhelming. She had been sitting in the living room with Tad, laughing at his clumsiness, along with the rest of her family when she had stood, drawing their attention to her.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to make a phone call. I need to let a friend know I made it safely back, or she will tan my hide when I see her, not to mention the rest of my friends in Japan." The group just watched her walk from the door and she heard as she moved to the kitchen her mother say "Did she just say she was calling a girl?"

She started to laugh at this and picked up the phone and dialed out of country and then put in Miaka's familiar number and waited as the phone rang.

She smiled with relief, not realizing she had been nervous until she heard Miaka's voice, although she had to squealch the disappointment that it was not Chichiri that answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Miaka. I'm here."

She heard the delight in her Miko's voice as she exclaimed her name. "Tasuki."

Tasuki heard on the other end what sounded like a loud group of people suddenly talking at once and she began to laugh as it would seem all their friends were over there. She heard Nuriko yelling out that she was going to be in big trouble for leaving without saying good bye when she got back and some others popping in also. However, she did not hear Chichiri's voice and didn't comment. She just informed Miaka that she was home safely and gave her a time for her arrival back before hanging up. She would use a phone card next time.

The phone conversation didn't last long, and Miaka had written down the information about Tasuki's returning flight and they had said good bye. She turned to the others and smiled, although it faltered a bit at Chichiri's unhappy face. "She made it back to her home and I got her returning flight information." This explanation gave the group a sense of hope that their Tasuki would return to normal upon her return.

Christmas flew by and Tasuki still wasn't feeling all that good. It was now the 27th of December and she was over at Kouji's house, helping his family remove their christmas decorations, as was their custom. Her family would bring theirs down the 2nd of January. She had always loved going to Kouji's house, it was like a second family to her. 

She, however, did begin to catch the looks his family was tossing her way and had barely held her tongue about it. Finally all the decorations were packed and She followed Kouji up to his room and made herself comfortable on his beanbag, one she always claimed as hers on her visits there. Out of all of Kouji's friends, she was the only female that was even allowed in his room. It had not taken alot of convincing to get his parents to realize she was just a friend when they had first met and she had never shown any interest in their son romantically. It was like she was just another guy to them.

So, now she sat, looking at something Kouji had gotten for christmas when she felt his eyes on her. She looked up at him to find him studying her. "What?"

He smiled at her rude tone, but didn't take it personally. "Ok, Genrou. Spill it. What the hell is wrong with you?"

She blushed and looked away, wondering where to start. She and Kouji had discussed past lives before, when they had tried to figure out the meaning of her dreams. He was the only one besides Tad that knew she dreamt of the Suzaku Seishi, although she hadn't told him about finding them in Japan yet.

Gathering her thoughts, she looked at him and saw him, for a moment, in bandit clothes. Since she had first seen him upon her return, at the airport, she had realized that this was the reincarnation of her closest friend from her time as the bandit Genrou. 

"Do you remember my dreams?" At his nod she continued. "Well, I was met at the airport by Tamahome when I first arrived in Japan." She continued to explain it all to him, meeting the Seishi, gaining her memory back upon seeing Hotohori and Nuriko. She delved a little into the renewed relationship she shared with Chichiri and ended with her description of the female teacher incident and his behavior prior to it. When she finished he was silent, staring at her.

She looked up at him and he suddenly grinned "That is so cool. I had always thought you were Tasuki, reincarnated. To find them waiting for you." They smiled at each other and she knew she would have to tell him about Genrou's Kouji soon. However, he continued on about Chichiri. "So, you became stubborn and have been ignoring him as much as possible eh?" She nodded and he sighed, shaking his head. "Tasuki, you are one of the most thickheaded people I know." He caught her affronted look and amended that "After Dennis." She growled at him "Don't fuckin' compare me to him, Kouji." He smiled at her, mocking her outrage.

She sighed softly "I spent the whole trip back thinking about him and what I would say the next time I saw him." He grinned at her and purposely misread what she said "What, Dennis?" She was upset and he just wanted to make her smile. She just glared instead. "No, dumbass. Chichiri." 

She sighed and laid out on the beanbag. "I really feel I must speak to him, but I don't know what to say!" She looked miserable as she sat there.

"Well, why don't you call him and say "chichiri, I'm a dumbass. I should have let you explain yourself, but instead I ran away like a scared little girl. I love you and ummph" he was cut off and she flew at him and beat him up. "I was not a scared little girl." Her smacks turned to tickles and he was soon yelling with laughter at this. Finally, after many cries of Uncle, she let him up and sat back in the beanbag chair. "You really think I should call him?" Her voice was thoughtful and she looked up to see him nodding and holding out his phone.

"OH no, Kouji, I refuse to let you pay for this call. I have a phone card." She dug into her pocket and pulled it out. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled "I had been thinking about it, just didn't have the courage to do it yet." He was still offering the phone to her so she took it and quickly dialed the numbers on the card and then Chichiri's phone number. She met with his answering machine and she declined to leave a message.

Grumbling about message machines under her breathe, she redialed and called Miaka. Taka picked up on the second ring and she switched to Japanese.

Taka looked up from the dresser where he was gathering a few clothes items and looked to the ringing phone. Miaka also looked up. "I bet that is Nuriko, asking if we are packed yet. We don't leave till tomorrow, I swear that woman." She accepted the clothes from Taka as she said this and watched him grab the phone. "Hello?"

His face brightened suddenly "Tasuki. How are you, what is going on?" He listened for a moment and then shook his head, his face lighting with a bigger grin. "Nope, Chichiri is not here. He said something about visiting some friends and left two days ago." He listened and tried to not look at his wife as he spoke into the phone. "Sure will, I'll have him call you as soon as I see him." He hung up after wishing the redhead goodbye and smiled at his thrilled wife.

"Why didn't you tell her?" 

Taka just shrugged "Thought it would be more fun this way." They burst out laughing and when the phone rang just a few minutes later, it was Nuriko, asking if they are packed and ready to go.

Tasuki hung up the phone in disappointment and looked at Kouji with a sigh. "Well, he went to visit some friends and isn't around. I guess I will have to wait till he calls, if he calls, or wait till I return to Japan."

She slumped back dejectedly into her seat and tried to not pout. After about 5 minutes of watching her pout, as that is what she was doing, Kouji sighed and stood. "Oh stop pouting. Come on, it's Sunday and almost 1. Let's go to the park and hit people."

She looked up and then nodded. "Well, get dressed and then we will run to my house to let me change. I have to grab my weapons anyways." She walked out of his room to let him change and made her way down to the kitchen where his mom was doing dishes. 

Without being asked, she picked up a towel and began to dry. 

"Are you ok, Genevieve?" Tasuki looked up at her second mother and nodded "Just tired. Not getting over my jetlag this time, plus the change in weather and such. I will be fine." She finished putting the few dishes away, knowing this kitchen like her own or Miaka's and hung the towel up. The motherly woman just smiled "Well, you should rest. We are glad you are home for Christmas though. Did you enjoy your present?" 

Tasuki smiled at the woman, who was a sucker for all things southwest and had given Tasuki powdered chili's and other unique food items from the southwest that she knew she could take back with her to Japan. "Oh yes, I miss green chili's. I wish they were in season, I want a grilled one so badly." She sighed at the thought of it and felt her mouth get moist with saliva. Oh Suzaku, she was turning into Miaka. She just laughed at the thought and smiled to her second mom.

Kouji came downstairs in his Amtgard gear and had a regulation sword over one shoulder. "Well, ready Genrou? Time to kick some arse." She smiled at him and bidding his mother good bye, who told the two to have fun, they left his house.

Stopping by her house for a quick change into her own garb and grabbing a few weapons, they left for Washington Park to have a round of fighting with their friends. 

Kouji had questioned her staff when she had grabbed it with her two short swords, but she didn't know why she had it, and just said "Just in case." She also had some of her fireballs attached to her belt and when they arrived at the park, they were immediately circled by their friends.

The usual battle of who would get Kouji and Genrou ensued and they were split, going to opposite teams. That meant that Tasuki would be fighting Kouji off, as that is what usually happened.

She sighed with pleasure and felt her adrenaline start to rush as she heard the shout to start and rushed towards her friend, their swords meeting in a thud. 

As usual, others went down around them and retreated to the sidelines to watch and Tasuki and Kouji continued to fight. Finally she managed to disarm him and tapped him on the side with her weapons, signaling his death. She stood back, smiling at her friend, listening to the laughter and claps from the sidelines.

She turned to smile at the others and her eyes widened when a shock of blue was all she seemed to see. Chichiri was standing on the sidelines, behind the others, watching her with a masked expression. One that she knew very well.

She glanced at Kouji who had stood and moved beside her. He whispered quietly "Is that Chichiri?" She gave a nod and looked up at him. "So, he isn't my imagination, eh?"

The others were moving back onto the field and calling for teams again. Tasuki just excused herself, but to the disappointment of the others and made her way to the sidewalk, where Chichiri was watching her. She dropped her weapons onto the grass before she arrived next to him.

He looked down at her and the pain in his eyes mirrored her own. "What are you doing here, Chichiri?"

Chichiri sat with his friends on Christmas and opened gifts. Tasuki's absense was still present in all their minds. However, the gifts she had selected for them showed that she cared for them. Finally, at the bottom of the bag a small box was drawn, with Chichiri's name on it. It was passed to him.

He opened it, almost as if he was afraid and gasped softly at the ring inside of it. 

A few weeks before they had fought, she had joined him at his house to gather a few items and had come across a cheap ring that he had gotten as a joke gift one year. She had pilferred it and worn it all weekend, him teasing her that she was slipping back to her old bandit style ways. When she had tried to return it on Sunday evening he had requested she keep it, that it was an inexpensive piece of metal. He noticed she had worn it, even after they had fought. However in his hands was an almost exact replica of the one she had kept. Only, as he lifted it from it's box and examined it, he noticed the engravings on the inside. In ancient Chinese text were the symbols for their names, Tasuki and Chichiri. She had matched his ring and engraved their names on the inside. He looked at the outside engravings, ones that at first glance looked similiar to the simple design on the ring she wore, but upon closer inspection had a pheonix hidden in the design. 

He slipped it on and refused to take it off, even to let the others see. He had spent the rest of the day thinking of her and had come to the decision, that he didn't care how, but he had to go see her. He was thankful to have a passport that was valid and upon explaining his plans with his friends, Hotohori had made a few calls and had gotten him a 1st class ticket on a morning flight to Texas. At the airport, the others made noices about wishing they were going and it was decided before they seperated that the others would follow in two days time to be with Tasuki and Chichiri for New Years Eve.

The flight had been long, longer then he had expected, although comfortable. He just wanted to be with her. He had caught a shuttle to her town and then had gotten a taxi to take him to her home. He was gazing out the window, taking in the mountains that loomed over her town when some activity in a park caught his eye. He saw Tasuki fighting with some guy who looked familiar with odd weapons, others stood back watching them. He had asked the cab driver to pull over and had gotten out, paying him and collecting his bags, which he set beside a truck and then stood on the sidewalk, watching the familiar moves of her. She fought like Genrou.

The fight had lasted another 5 minutes before she had disarmed her friend, whom he realized looked like Genrou's fellow bandit, Kouji and tapped his sides with her swords. His death was called and she smiled at her friend, Chichiri feeling jealousy sprout in him until she turned to smile at the others, her smile freezing as their eyes met.

He watched the Kouji lookalike talk to her and then she looked at him and nodded. Excusing herself from her friends, he felt his heart beat faster as she approached and suddenly he didn't know what he would say to her. 

"What are you doing here, Chichiri?"

Her words snapped him out of his daze and he showed her the ring he wore. She looked down and then back up to him, pain in her eyes. "My present to you."

He nodded "I am so sorry, Tas-chan. I talked to Miaka. I didn't know how to handle the situation and I pushed you away, no da." She looked back at her friends, who were gazing at the two of them curiously and led him to a small bridge over a waterless ravine not far away and she leaned against the rails, looking down at the grafiti covered walls of the concrete below. "Why did you do it then, Chiri-chan?"

Her eyes moved to him and he sighed, leaning also. "The charade was so hard for me, Tasuki, no da. To be around you in school and in class and pretend you are nothing to me was so hard. The more time we spent together, the more I would catch myself slipping in class, no da. I almost called you Tasuki three times in one class and I knew that I was not coping well, no da." He looked at her, their eyes meeting.

"It was hard for me too, Chichiri, each time I would look up and see you in the front of the class I would have to pull myself together and put my attention back on my work. So many times I wanted to call you Chichiri, instead of Ri-sensei. But at least I had weekends where my old Chichiri was back." She drifted off. "Then I didn't even have that."

He sighed, looking out across the valley to some mountains in the distance. "I thought I was doing well, until you gave yourself to me, no da. Suddenly I had you in ways I haven't had anyone else since I had you as Genrou. Even back then you could distract me and in this body, it is no different, no da. The only way I was going to get through this semester was to distance myself from you as much as possible. And it always seemed as if we were going out in public with the other Seishi, no da. I couldn't hold you, kiss you or be around you as I wanted to be. The only time I could be myself with you was at night in Miaka and Taka's spare room, no da. I am sorry I pushed you away, no da."

He turned to find tears in her eyes as she gazed up at him. "You don't hate me?" He shook his head "Oh, Chichiri, I just wanted you to acknowledge me when we were with the others, but even Miaka saw how you treated me. I was so hurt." He felt pain as he watched her. Even with as strong as his Tasuki could be, the monk knew that his bandit always showed her/his sensative side to him. It had been like that before, and it was like that now.

He sighed and turned to her. "I noticed you are no longer my student, no da." She gave a nod "The day I caught you with that woman, I had changed my schedule. I figured if I was no longer your student, you would be free to be more open with me. I am sorry I was so stubborn to not listen to you before, Chichiri."

He nodded "About that woman..." her fingers touched his lips and she cut him off. "Don't worry about her. I know how she is. I haven't been angry about her in a long time, no da." She grinned impishly to him and he captured her lips quickly, pulling her to him.

For a moment all of the others and surroundings disappeared agian and she let herself just feel him. Until she became aware of the clapping and cheering of others. Breaking away she shook her head at the gathered friends, watching the two of them. Then she ran from Chichiri, after Kouji, who she knew had instigated it.

"JUST WAIT TILL I CATCH YOU KOUJI, I SWEAR I'M GOING TO FUCKIN' KILL YOU." Chichiri smiled at the accent in her voice. The southwestern thing was very adorable. He smiled with happiness as she chased her friend around the field where the others watched with amusement. "Everything is going to be just fine now, no da." he said to himself as he made his way to her, where she had tackled her friend and was now tickling him mercilessly, him crying Uncle. 


	7. Arrivals and News

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. This will be a Tasuki/Chichiri story.

Amtgard was done and Kouji had taken Chichiri and Tasuki to her house, dropping them off and leaving them in peace.

After introducing her 'boyfriend' to her family, Chichiri was seen into the guest room and left to settle.

A few minutes after he was left alone, Tasuki came back in with a pile of towels for the adjoining bathroom. She returned to the room and gave him a soft kiss before settling onto the bed, watching him unpack. He was still so calm, even when they were upset with each other. She felt comfort at just being in his presence again. 

When he had finished she looked at the time and stood, knowing he liked to meditate at sundown. She knew the perfect spot for him to watch the sun set and she leapt from the bed and grabbed his hands, leading him from the room.

"Where are we going, no da?" He asked her when they were putting their shoes on in the foyer. She just smiled impishly at him and continued to get ready. She called out to her mother that they were going to watch the sunset and they left. She led him to a large truck, four door and required the use of the siderunners to get into it. He stared at her as she settled in and they pulled out of the driveway.

She caught his stare and smiled at him "Like my truck?"

He blinked "This is yours?" She nodded and the conversation turned to simple things. He told her of what the others had thought of their gifts and then remembered that he had gifts for her in his bag. She laughed at him, telling him she would open them later. He noticed after a few minutes that they were heading into the mountains.

"Where are we going, no da?" 

"Someplace with an awesome view of the sunset. You will love it, Chiri-chan." He nodded and watched her drive. She took the winding mountain road at a speed he wasn't very comfortable with, but she handled her truck with ease and within 10 minutes of entering the mountains he saw a tunnel ahead, with a small off spot before it. She pulled into the turn around and parked, climbing from the truck.

He followed her to the edge of the clearing and pulled her into his arms as the sun set. The view was different from in town, but watching the sun set over the basin and mountains was beautiful. The sky turned various shades and the white sands shone out in contrast to the desert around it.

They were quiet, even tuning out the passing vehicles right behind them on the road. He watched as the sun faded behind the mountains and the various shades of the sky and looked down at her. She looked exhausted to him, still very thin as well.

"Tas-chan?"

"Hm?" She sounded a bit sleepy.

"Are you feeling well, no da?" She blinked and looked up at him. "Why do you ask?"

Chichiri smiled down at her. "You seem tired and thin to me." She frowned. "I think I am having a problem getting over jet lag, are you tired? We could have come up here another day." He cut her off with a kiss and she melted back into him. "I am fine. I think you should rest, no da. Are you hungry?" She shook her head. "I haven't been hungry either lately. I wish Mitsukake was here. I think I'm catching something." He nodded, worry in his eyes. Although he had meant for it to be a surprise when the others showed up, he spoke anyways. "Well, we will have Mitsukake heal you first thing when you see him, no da." She didn't question this and nodded, thinking he meant when they got back to Japan.

The left soon after and returned home. They slept in seperate beds that night, and although he wasn't beside her, Tasuki slept easier knowing he was right down the hall.

The next few days found Chichiri watching his Tasuki closely. She was still pale and tired looking to him and whenever he would question her on it, she would reply that she was just tired and jet lagged.

The 30th of December found them curled up on the couch, watching the history channel, enjoying some cuddle time. The ringing of the phone drew their attention from the television and Tasuki rose from her reclining position against Chichiri and she picked up the phone, then settling back against the monk as she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi Tasuki, whatcha up to?"

The ex bandit grinned, showing her fangs. "Not much Nuriko. Just about to jump Chichiri's bones." She winked at her lover as he let out a choked laugh. There was dead silence on the other end of the phone and Tasuki chuckled softly as Nuriko cleared her throat. "Ahhh. OH"

"Ah, Nuri, I'm just messin with ya. Chiri and I are watching tv, in the living room, fully dressed." Tasuki got the surround sound laughter, coming from both Chichiri and Nuriko. "What's up?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you and Chichiri would like to go and get some coffee." Tasuki raised her eyebrow and sighed. "Ummmm, Nuriko? I'm still in New Mexico, but we could get that coffee when I return to Japan, ok?"

"Baka, that's too long to wait." With these words, the doorbell rang. Holding the phone to her ear, Tasuki raised up slightly and glanced out the window, seeing an unfamiliar white van, but not able to see who was at her front door. She heard Nuriko's exasperated voice on the other end of the line. "Answer your door, baka." With that the willow seishi hung up and Tasuki bolted off the couch and launched herself for the door, Chichiri rising and following closely behind her.

Throwing the door open, the rest of the Seishi and their priestess grinned at the shocked look on Tasuki's face. Miaka giggled and launched herself at Tasuki. "I'm so glad to see you, Tas-chan." The red head hugged her friend and then glanced back at the satisfied look on Chichiri's face. "You knew about this?"

He gave a nod and she let out relieved laughter and stepped back, letting her friends enter her home. Her mom came out from the kitchen and smiled. "I see your friends made it." Tasuki turned to her mother. "You knew too?"

Mom just nodded "Yep, your boyfriend told me." With these words she disappeared back into the kitchen.

The next few hours were comfortably spent in Tasuki's living room. Tasuki had ended up laying on the couch, suddenly weary and her head in Chichiri's lap. 

Mitsukake had watched their wing seishi closely, having talked with Chichiri about Tasuki's illness and he finally couldn't stand it any longer. "Tasuki, can I talk with you outside?"

Tasuki glanced up and frowned slightly, but nodded and followed the tall doctor outside. The rest watched them leave and then turned as one to Chichiri. "What's wrong with Tasuki?"

Chichiri shrugged, his eyes betraying the uncertainty behind the gesture." I'm not sure, no da. She has been very tired and doesn't appear to be feeling all that well." The others nodded. "Jetlag?" The monk glanced at Taka and began to nod when Chiriko's voice cut in. "No, she was sick before she left Japan. It can't be jetlag." With this announcement, the group turned towards the window where the two seishi were having a serious conversation.

Mitsukake listened to Tasuki describe what was going on with her and felt with deep uneasiness that he knew what was going on with her. She finished her small speech with "So, just magic bubble me and heal me up, Mits." He paused and looked into her eyes, catching the fear that lingered there.

"I think I know what is wrong with you, Tasuki. It is not something that we can cure with my Suzaku powers." She frowned at him. "But..." He cut her off with a shake of her head. "If I am right, it won't kill you. How long did you wait after going on birth control to resume your sex life with Chichiri?"

Tasuki frowned and spoke automatically before his words sank in. "One month, like Dr. Dasukin told me too." Mitsukake groaned softly. "I really wish you would have come to me about the birth control. You should have waited 3 months for your birth control to take effect. Are you still taking it?" She shook her head. "I stopped after my fight with Chichiri, I will start again though." Her voice died off at Mitsukake's shaking head. "No, going back on it now is not safe. Tasuki, I think you are pregnant. Don't go back on birth control until we know for sure. It's a good thing you haven't been taking it either."

While he was speaking he had noticed that Tasuki had gone very pale, making her freckles stand out. She swayed slightly and he grasped her elbow, keeping her upright. "Tasuki?"

Slightly unfocussed eyes turned towards him. "How do we find out? I can't exactly go and by a pregnancy test, people will see and it will get back to my family. I'm not ready for that." Mitsukake nodded "Chichiri can check you. He should be able to feel for the baby's ki, no matter how small." Tasuki nodded and suddenly found herself in Mitsukake's arms and she shuddered. "Oh Suzaku." 

They stayed like that for a long moment and then Tasuki lifted her head from Mitsukake's chest and glanced towards the living room door and looked at Chichiri's frightened expression and then at the similiar expressions on the others' faces. "I think we should go back in and find out."

Mitsukake nodded and led her back towards the house. As soon as she entered the house, she made a beeline for Chichiri's lap and buried her head in his shoulder. He immediately brought his arms around her and rubbed her back. "Tasuki?" He glanced from her towards Mitsukake, who was sitting back in his seat with a shuttered expression.

Chichiri looked back towards Tasuki as she raised her head and whispered something in his ear. He pulled back slightly, shock on his face and glanced at her. "Are you sure?" She shook her head, as did Mitsukake when the monk looked in the healer's direction. Chichiri gave a small nod and closed his eyes, concentrating on the woman in his lap.

"What is goin..." Miaka's curious question was cut off by the soft shaking of Taka's head and the group continued to watch the couple. After about 2 minutes, Chichiri's eyes snapped open, shock written on his face and he stared at the small woman in his lap. "Oh, Tasuki." 

At his words, her eyes filled with tears and she laid her head back on his shoulder and he held her close. Chichiri raised his eyes to Mitsukake and gave a small nod. The healer sighed, knowing the couple was still unable to say it outloud and the others gave him their attention. "Tasuki is pregnant."

The room was met with silence and suddenly Nuriko spoke "Golly, I would have thought Miaka or myself would have been first." The group turned to Nuriko who blushed and Tasuki raised her head to glare at her friend. "Were we having a race to see who could get knocked up first, Nuriko?" Purple eyes narrowed at her hotheaded friend and Tasuki stood and muttered "Gomen" and then walked towards the door, grabbing her coat and slipping on her boots as she opened the front door.

The rest of the group stood and followed her out of the house and watched her climb into her truck, which was parked on the street and she started it and drove off. Chichiri's worried eyes followed her. 

"She will be fine, it was just a shock. I don't think pregnancy even came to her mind at all." All turned towards Mitsukake and nodded, returning to the house. 

Miaka spoke when all were seated again. "So, what now?" Chichiri glanced up. "I guess we will have to get married, no da." Both women winced and Nuriko spoke "Oh, Chiri, I am so glad that Tasuki was not around to hear you say that." The monk glanced at his friend. "Why not?"

"No woman wants to be proposed to just because she is pregnant." Chichiri gave an understanding nod. "I understand. However, I was going to propose to her tomorrow night, no da. The ring is in my luggage, na no da." The group broke out into smiles and the conversation continued as they discussed the possibility of Tasuki continuing her school year in her condition.

Tasuki drove straight to Kouji's house and didn't even try and stem her tears as she ran to the door and rang the doorbell. Kouji's sister, Karen, answered the door. "Gen? What's wrong?" Tasuki shook her head and managed to gasp out "Is Larry home?"

Karen nodded and cocked her head up towards the stairs. "He's in his room." Tasuki nodded and entered, slipping her shoes and coat off, and putting them away before moving towards Kouji's room. The door was slightly open and she peaked in and saw him playing a video game. 

A soft sniff caught his attention and he stared in shock at her face, tears still running down her cheeks. The game was instantly off and he was pulling her into the room and closing his door. "What's wrong, Genrou?"

With these words she burst into harder sobs and he gathered her towards him, comforting his usually strong friend. He had never seen Genrou act so girly before and this scared him. As he rubbed her back in soothing circles, his mind moved over what could have sent her running to him in this condition. Her crying faded and he pulled back a bit to look into her face. "Ok, what is wrong?"

She moved from his grasp and flopped down on his beanbag chair. "I'm pregnant, Kouji."

She raised miserable eyes to him and he nodded calmly "I had though so." Her mouth fell open and she gaped at him. "What?"

He looked away and nodded. "You had all the signs, but I thought it would have been obvious, so I didn't mention it, thinking you had already ruled that option out." She stared at him and then burst into laughter. He glanced at her and sighed. A laughing Genrou was better then a sobbing one. 

"Ah Kouji. What would I do without you?" 

He smirked "Have a boring life." She gave a nod and sighed, her face falling again.

"What am I going to do?" 

"What do you mean?"

She sighed again. "I'm in college, Chichiri and I just made up from the fight, now this." Kouji frowned at her. "Do you think Chichiri is not going to like or love you because you carry his child?" She shook her head.

Kouji squatted to her eye level. "You and Chichiri have a love that has crossed lives, Tasuki. That is very rare. I would be surprised if you and Chichiri weren't engaged before you flew back to Japan. The man is smitten with you and you are smitten with him." Tasuki sniffled and nodded at the truth in Kouji's words. 

"Ya always knew how to cheer me up, even back then." Kouji blinked in surprise. "I was around back then?"

She nodded "And my best friend then too. Just as Chichiri and I are destined to love each other each lifetime, we are destined to be best friends too." She smiled and he grinned. "Was I this awesome back then?"

She giggled "More so" watching him frown playfully. "You even did your whole knock knock jokes back then too." He chuckled and pulled her up to her feet. "Come on, Gen-chan. Let's go back and you can introduce me to all your friends." Tasuki smiled and the two left Kouji's house and the conversation was light all the way back to Tasuki's house. They had no sooner put the truck in park when the front door opened and the Suzaku warriors and priestess came running out. Chichiri pulled Tasuki into his embrace and held her close. "Are you ok?"

She gave a nod "Yes, Kouji helped me put it into perspective." She pulled back and smiled at him. "I don't know about the rest of you, but Kouji and I are starving. And by the look on Miaka's face, she feels the same way."

The group laughed and a conversation started about where to go to supper. Kouji was easily accepted into the group and the conversation was light hearted over supper and through the evening.

(A/N When I had started this fiction, I hadn't meant for Tasuki to get pregnant. But I will admit this is something that has been on my mind alot lately cause my husband and i are discussing our last child. It just sort ended up in the story, so i left it and went with it. Also, I tend to put a little of me into the story, and when I was trying to come up with a place that Tasuki is from, I chose the city I know best. Yeah, that would be Alamogordo, New Mexico, my hometown. And I thought he and Kouji would play Amtgard, and Washington park on Sunday afternoons is where they play. So, just thought I would include that. I am moving next week, back to texas now that he is out of Iraq and school is over, had to wait for summer school for my oldest. This story will be up completely before then, unless the cable company is stupid and shuts my cable off before the time they are suppose to. If that happens I will post the rest of it as soon as I get online in texas. Once again, this story is complete on my computer. And thank you to all my reviewers, I am so glad you like the story. Everqueen)

(A/N And I found myself having to add Chichiri's no da's as I editted this story. Sad huh? I forgot to put his catch phrase in.) 


	8. New Years

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. This is a tasuki/chichiri fic.

The next day passed with much laughter and joy. The seishi and their miko were glad to be spending new years together and it was by unspoken rule, Tasuki's pregnancy was not mentioned at all.

At supper that night, Tasuki's mother glanced at her beaming daughter, who was talking in rapid japanese with Miaka and Nuriko. The change in her daughter from the surly tomboy to this beaming young woman was amazing. This was the first time since grade school that Genevieve had been more then passing acquantances with any woman and now here she was proclaiming two women in the realm of best friends. Mrs. Smith glanced down the table at Larry and found him conversing easily in halted English and halted Japanese with Houjun and Taka. She had never known that Larry could speak more then Konnichiwa and Gomen of the Japanese language. It would appear that all the time that Larry had spent with Genevieve had given him an inkling of Japanese.

She glanced towards Myojuan and Dokun, who were conversing in formal English with Tad and her own husband and smiled slightly. She had been very worried that her shy daughter would not make any real friends in her time in Japan and here she was, with a table full of Japanese guests who had flown the ocean to spend a week with her only daughter. She felt a flash of fear that they were maybe a cult and didn't want to let her daughter out, now that she was in. Her gaze on her daughter turned fearful. 

Tasuki noticed her mom's gaze and glanced towards her parent. "What's up mom?" Mrs. Smith amazed at the flawless execution of both languages as her daughter instantly switched from Japanese to english.

"Gen, would you help me get the dessert?"

Genevieve nodded and stood. Once in the kitchen, both women went about silently in the preparation of dishing dessert. "Honey?"

"Hmmm?" Gen looked up from spooning her food. "What's up mom?"

"I'm a bit concerned. I understand about Houjun coming here, especially after the fight you both had and seeing your gift to him, but why would your friends come over. You haven't known them all that long."

Mrs. Smith looked at her daughter who was studiously scooping ice cream over brownies. She finally seemed to come to some conclusion. "Mom, do you remember my sketch's that I kept framed in my room?"

"The ones of the 8 people in the old Japanese outfits, other then the girl in the brown..." her voice trailed off and Gen looked at her mother. "Do you see it now?"

Mom nodded. "Your friends look just like them. Houjun looks like the monk, Myojuan the healer..." Her voice trailed off at Gen's nod. "Mom, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Mrs. Smith's eyes narrowed. "You can't tell me that you believe you are a reincarnation of...?"

"Tasuki. Genrou. The brash redheaded male bandit. I know this is hard to believe, but I have long believed in reincarnation and Tad and Kouji both believe this too. But there is a reason that the 8 of us, well, 9 if you count Kouji, are together." She sighed and rolled up her sleeve.

"A lifetime ago, I was Shun'u. When I ran away from home to get away from my overbearing family, I left to become a bandit with the Mt. Rekkaku bandits. Kouji and I joined at the same time and became fast friends. I changed my name to Genrou. After a time, I became second in line and was set to inherit leadership of the bandits when our leader died. I was gone when he died, looking for a cure and when I returned, I found that this pig named Eiken had taken leadership and my heritage, a metal fan that shot flames when the spell was cast. Rekka Shinen."

Gen glanced at her mother and then turned to her father and boyfriend, who stood behind her. Her father looked shocked, but Chichiri gave her a small smile and an encouraging nod.

"I came to the bandit camp to find that Eiken was mistreating this woman, Miaka. I rescued her, kind of. I kidnapped her actually, and it was while she was my hostage that she said she would help me get my gang back. Well, needless to say, we got the gang back and she said she was the Priestess of Suzaku, who is the God of the country I lived in. She was looking for the 7 warriors of Suzaku, so she could summon him and save the country. She was at the hideout, trying to find Tasuki."

Her mother just gave her a dubious look and then shared a similiar look with her husband. "And you are?"

"Tasuki, Celestial Warrior of Suzaku."

They glanced at Chichiri. "And you are a celestial warrior too?"

"Chichiri, Celestial Warrior of Suzaku."

"And the others? Are they warriors?"

They both nodded "Well, except Kouji, who was a bandit and Miaka, who is our Miko."

The parents closed in together and studied their daughter and her boyfriend. "Do you expect us to believe this?"

Tasuki glanced at her boyfriend and then pointed to her arm. "Watch my arm." She concentrated and brought her battle ki up and then opened her eyes, the red glow from her arm filled the room. Her parents were staring at her symbol in shock. "This is the symbol of the wing, the symbol of Tasuki."

Her parents moved forward and her mother ran a fingertip over the mark in awe. "So it's true?" Tasuki nodded "Yes, I had some access to my past in this life even before I was reawakened. My track record is thanks to my unawakened Suzaku powers."

Chichiri came forward at this. "Tasuki's power is speed, but he also had a tessen that Suzaku blessed and made diamond. The fan would not work for anyone but Tasuki after that." The red head nodded and her symbol faded.

Chichiri sighed. "I think it would help if I showed them some of my powers, Tasuki, no da!"

The redhead nodded "Show them your previous appearance, Chiri."

The monk nodded and reached into his shirt, where he kept his prayer beads and grasped them lightly, as Tasuki had seen him do countless times before. With a small "Hmph" the monk was back in his original form, mask and all.

Chichiri reached up and grasped his mask, removing it to show his scar. Mom and dad stared in shock at him and then Tasuki. "So, it's real." Both warriors nodded. "Yes mom, it's real."

Chichiri gave another humph and returned to his current form and smiled slightly. "We were all awakened and just waiting for Tasuki to return. When Taka found Genevieve at the airport, we knew that it would only be a matter of time till she was reawakened and she was returned to us by that Friday."

Dad frowned slightly "Were the two of you together in your past life?" Both nodded and mom spoke softly. "But you were both men in your past life." Tasuki gave a nod. "Yes, and if I had been born a boy in this one, I still would have loved Chichiri. He is my soulmate mom, our god approved of our union then and he does now as well."

Mom and dad gave a collective sigh and glanced at each other. Mom finally spoke after a long while. "As weird as this situation is, we both believe you. I have also believed in past lives and felt that you and Larry were two peas' in a pod with how well the two of you got on and how fast your friendship grew. Larry's mom and I had discussed this a few times. Is Larry aware he was around in your past life? Tasuki nodded and then grinned as her dad cleared his throat. "The ice cream is melting."

They all glanced at the forgotten bowls and laughed as the scoop went back into the container and bowls were passed into dad and Chichiri's hands. "Here serve these, we will bring the rest." The two guys left the women to their thing and left with the dishes.

Tasuki glanced at her mother as she scooped. Mom spoke after awhile. "So, it's safe to say that you probably will never return to live here again?"

Tasuki gave a nod. "Yeah. That's probably really accurate." Mom sniffled and wiped tears and then gave a smile. "Well, your father and I always wanted to come and visit Japan. Guess this gives us reason to." Tasuki laughed and hugged her mother and then the two women put the remaining ice cream back and grabbed the last bowls and walked into the dining room.

After Chichiri and Mr. Smith had risen from the table to go check on their collective women, Taka frowned and followed after a moment. He returned a few seconds later and smiled. "Tasuki and Chichiri are informing her parents about our shared past." The others smiled and Tad and Kouji looked towards the kitchen after Chiriko had repeated Taka's statement in english. 

When they felt Tasuki's battle ki rise a few moments later, they all jumped slightly, minus Tad and Kouji and glanced towards the kitchen. Chiriko turned towards Mitsukake and spoke in rapid japanese. "Is it safe for her to power up like that?"

The healer thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe so. She isn't fighting, just raising her battle ki. Most likely to get her symbol to shine. She will be fine." The rest of the group nodded and the conversation switched back to English and when Chichiri and Tasuki's dad returned, Chiriko was telling of the failed summoning of Suzaku to Tad and Kouji. Mr. Smith set bowls in front of Tad, Kouji, Miaka (who got the largest portion) and Taka. The group listened with awe to the retelling of the failed summoning and Tasuki and her mom paused at the doorway and out of the corner of her eye, mom caught Tasuki's frown.

"Come on, Chiriko, couldn't you tell a more uplifting story? Amiboshi's betrayal is not exactly dessert material at the dinner table."

The group smiled at the former bandit. Chiriko's eyes lit with a mischievious light and he grinned. "Well, there was the time that we were prepping the boat to go to Hokkan to get the Shinzaho and Tamahome... er, Taka here, discovered that Tasuki couldn't swim and decided to toss him into the river." He grinned unabashadly at the bandit who sighed and set the bowls down in front of the others and then tapped her Seishi powers and quickly disappeared into the kitchen and grabbed the last two and then returned with them,all within a few seconds. "I think we can find something more entertaining to talk about then Genrou's lack of swimming capabilities, which I am proud to say has been rectified in this current life, thank you." 

She grinned at Taka "We can always talk about how much Tamahome loved to meet his old friend, my tessen. REKKA SHINEN!" Every seishi at the table flinched at the cry, old habits dying hard. Tasuki burst into laughter and sat down next to Chichiri as the group began to once again regail the others at the table with stories of their travels, all fun, none of the sad parts were brought up.

Chichiri was patting a choking Tasuki on the back after the monk had reminded her of "Wiggle Wiggle part 2" and the whole drinking episode in Tomo's illusion when Tasuki's mom cast a glance at the clock. "Oh my, it's 10 already, we've been here far too long. You guys should hurry up to the college if you are going to partake in any of the First Night festivities before midnight." She smiled at the younger adults around the table as they all agreed and stood, running towards the spare room, where their coats were kept. Tasuki started to help her mom clear the table, but mom shook her head. "Go have fun. Be careful driving back though." Tasuki nodded and left the table, leaving the parents to look at each other. 

"I take it you believe more fully now that Tasuki and Chichiri are more then just their imaginations?" Dad nodded to mom's question and the two cleared the table in silence.

The group walked among the white lights lit campus of NMSU-A. Tasuki had an arm laced through Chichiri and Miaka and Nuriko were doing the same to their significant others. The group was very impressed with the celebration for such a small city. They had just passed the singing group of the Alamogordo Music Theater when a shocked voice sounded behind the others. "Ohmygod, Genevieve?"

Chichiri felt Tasuki tense beside him and she turned slowly and plastered on a fake smile. "Hello, Charity."

The bubbly looking girl fairly bounced towards them. "I didn't realize you were still here. I didn't see you anywhere at NMSU. Are you going to college here?"

Tasuki sighed. "No, actually I got accepted into a college in Tokyo."

The blonde frowned in thought. "Where is that?" Muffled laughter filtered through the group and Chichiri managed almost successfully to hide his laughter as a cough. Tasuki just sighed though as she felt Kouji lean across her back, his head propped against the top of hers. "It's in Japan."

The bouncy girl gaped at the former bandit. "Can you, like, even speak Japansese?" Kouji was now chuckling into Tasuki's hair and the short girl gave her best friend a very hard poke in the stomach with her elbow, cause a small huff of pain from Kouji. "It's Japanese, Charity and I speak it fluently."

The girl glanced from the local track star to the foreigners surrounding her. "So, these are your friends from Japan?"

Tasuki nodded "Yes, these are my friends from Japan. This is Houjun, Dokun, Miaka, Taka, Ryu, Seiheti, Myojuan and I believe you know Larry." Kouji gave a small wave and a wink from over Tasuki's head.

The girl gave the former bandit a disgusted look and then her eyes focused on Chichiri. "Houjun huh? Well, Houjun. I will give you the distinct pleasure of escorting me tonight." The girl's tone of voice as she said this made the group think that she was use to men just falling into line to be with her.

Kouji's arms immediately encircled around Tasuki as she surged forward, keeping her from attacking the other girl. A murmur of disagreement filted through the group at Charity's words. Chichiri's voice was cold as he responded. "Thank you for the offer, but I will stay with Genevieve, no da."

The woman's expression turned cold. "What does that lesbian have that I don't?" Kouji's grip on Tasuki tightened and Nuriko slapped a hand, lightly, over Tasuki's mouth as she started to sputter insults at the cheerleader. Chichiri was silent for a second as he glared at the woman. "I don't think it is very kind of you to insult Gen, no da. And she has something that you will never have." Miaka muttered "Class?" behind the group and Taka sputtered with laughter as Chichiri spoke again. "My heart."

With that he grasped Tasuki's hand, Kouji and Nuriko let her go and he pulled her past the shocked girl. The rest of the friends followed, Nuriko and Kouji making threatening gestures at the girl as they passed her. They heard her faint voice behind them. "Well, I never."

They walked and slowly Tasuki stopped grumbling under her breath. Midnight was fast approaching and in reality was only 30 minutes away when Kouji muttered "Jackass alert."

Tasuki, who had been talking softly with Miaka and Nuriko, looked up, panic on her face and she swung around just as she heard a loud voice shout over the crowd. "There is my precious buttercup."

She was suddenly grabbed by a tall, solidly built man, who swung her around and then tried to kiss her. She shoved him hard and his lips connected with the side of her head as she spun out of his grasp and used her seishi power to dart back towards Kouji and Chichiri. "Leave me the fuck alone, Dennis."

Chichiri pulled her to his side and Kouji stepped in front of her. "I told ya before to leave Gen alone, man. I don't know what it's going to take to get it through your thick head that she isn't yours."

The man leered at Kouji "Oh, you are just jealous that she is mine and not yours, I understand." Kouji sputtered in disbelief and Dennis turned his attention to Chichiri and Tasuki. "Get your hands off my woman, jap." Tasuki gasped outright at this and surged forward and slapped Dennis across the face. "How dare you insult him. He is more man then you will ever be."

Her mistake was that she got back into Dennis's range and he grabbed her again. One beefy arm wrapped around her neck and the onlookers backed off, fear for Tasuki's safety pausing all celebration. The exception, of course, are the Suzaku warriors. A red glow lit every single one of them, symbols appearing clearly on Taka, Hotohori, Mitsukake and Nuriko. Chichiri had his prayer beads out and Miaka was fairly growling in anger as Chiriko put a hand on her arm to restrain her, while he glared at Dennis himself.

The crowd was silent as the area lit with a red glow. Dennis clumsily stepped back, taking Tasuki with him when the small woman in his arms also lit with a red glow. "What the?"

He let her go, shoving her towards the others. She stumbled two steps forward and spun on her heel. "How dare you touch me. I have never been your woman and I never will. You disgust me."

Chichiri stepped forward and drew the wing warrior back into his arms. His voice was cold when he looked at Dennis and spoke "I would suggest that you leave and never approach Genevieve or her family and friends again."

The ex football player backed up and turn and stumbled away. The red glow faded as symbols faded and the group tried to ignore the stares of the bystanders. "Are you ok, Tas-chan, no da?"

Tasuki nodded and suddenly burst into laughter. "Did ya see his face, he will think twice about accosting defenseless women again." The group burst into laughter at this and Nuriko spoke. "Tasuki, you are far from defenseless." Taka muttered "And not all that womanly either." Chichiri watched as Tasuki's fingers twitched and barely managed to grab her as she made a lunge towards Taka. "Bring it on, Tamahomeboy." She snarled at the ogre warrior and he growled back at her while Miaka pulled on his arm and Chichiri whispered "The baby, love. Think of the baby, no da." She almost instantly quieted as did Taka, who looked slightly ashamed that he had just picked a fight with a pregnant woman. As they started moving again, Tasuki leaned close towards Taka and muttered under her breath, also a bit embarrassed "Don't feel bad, I forgot I was pregnant also." She gave him a fanged grin and he muttered "Baka" but smiled and draped an arm over her shoulder and gave her a hug. "Have I told you lately how much fun it is that you are back, Tasuki?" She just smirked.

The group moved towards a more quiet section of the campus and sat down to watch the start of the fireworks. Tasuki was looking up at the show in the air and did not see her friends backing away and leaving Tasuki and Chichiri in relative privacy. Midnight was now only about 2 minutes away when Chichiri cleared his throat and Tasuki lowered her head and a surprised look crossed her face as she took in the private setting. Their friends were still in sight, but were turned away from the couple giving them privacy.

Tasuki turned to Chichiri as he dropped to one knee and held up a box. Kanji on the top announced the name of a jewelry store in Tokyo that Tasuki didn't know and she gasped in surprise as a simple diamond ring was revealed to her. "I don't think I really have to go on about how you are my soul mate and that I will love you till the end of time, because you know it is true, no da. I brought this with me from Japan, Tasuki. I am not asking because of the baby, I am asking because I love and adore you and I always have. Will you marry me, na no da?"

Tasuki looked up and tears sparkled in her eyes. She suddenly let out a loud cheer and launched herself at Chichiri, crying "Of course I will" as she hugged him tight. Cheering came from their friends and she let her love go and he pulled back slightly and slipped the ring on her finger. As she stared at it, the fireworks bursting overhead colored it in blues and reds. She smiled and then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ya know, Chiri-chan. It was your turn to ask, cause I asked you last time." The monk just burst into laughter and nodded "Hai, I know. I was thinking we could have our original rings remade for our wedding bands, no da." Tasuki glanced up at him and smiled. "I would love that."

As they kissed for the first time as an engaged couple, a loud cry of "HAPPY NEW YEAR" rose from the distant crowd and the university's speakers began to play music. Tasuki pulled away from him and smiled as their friends converged on them, cries of Happy New Year mingling with laughter. The group clung to each other, in a massive group hug, as they watched the sky lite up with celebration of the new year. 


	9. Home to Japan

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. This is a Tasuki/Chichiri fic.

Tasuki sighed with pleasure and sank into her chair and then smiled across the aisle to Miaka. "First class is so much nicer then economy." The miko smiled at her fire seishi and snuggled a bit more into her seat. "You rode economy the whole way here?" Tasuki nodded and then glanced up as Chichiri finished putting their bags in the overhead compartment and smiled down at Tasuki. "You were roughing it, no da." Tasuki burst into laughter and scooted her legs a bit towards her seat as the monk crawled over her and sat in the chair beside her. "I am just surprised you got me a first class seat also."

Hotohori turned in his seat to face her. "We switched your seats when we booked our own, Tasuki. We couldn't be all stuck up here in first class and have you back there with the commoners, could we?" The group burst into laughter and Chichiri shook his head at the ex emperor. Some things just never change. 

The conversation flowing between the seishi and their miko was light hearted and it wasn't until they were in the air and the plane was halfway to Los Angeles that Chichiri questioned Tasuki on her mother.

"Tas-chan?"

The redhead looked up from her book and smiled at Chichiri. "Yes love?" The smile faded at the serious look on her fiancee's face. "what is it, Chichiri?"

The monk cast a glance around at their friends, but the rest of their group was conversing amongst themselves and he turned his attention back to her. "I know you had a conversation with you mother last night, no da." Her face fell slightly and she looked down at her lap.

"I felt the distress in your ki, Tas-chan."

She sighed softly and placed a hand over her still flat abdomen. "I told her about the baby, Chichiri." She glanced up, tears in her eyes. "I couldn't leave and then tell her over the phone. This was too important to not say face to face."

Chichiri gave a nod. "So, what was her response?" Tasuki looked at her fiancee and gave a slight smile. "I am glad I informed her of our past before I revealed that we are having a baby. She only yelled a bit." Her smile fell a bit and the book was put away for good before she turned back to the monk. "Do you think I am different, Chichiri?"

The monk frowned slightly "Different how?" Tasuki shrugged "I feel more girly all of a sudden. I fuckin' don't like it much." She frowned, fangs peaking out of her lower lip. The blue haired seishi chuckled. "More girly? Well, you are pregnant, I don't think you can get much more girly then that, no da." Tasuki shrugged and looked past him to gaze out the window into the clouds that surrounded the plane. "Even Kouji commented on it. That I am less brash then I was before I originally left for Japan. My vocabulary is cleaning up some and I feel more calm with my life." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. 

Chichiri frowned. "Where is this going? Do you feel like you are losing yourself in this form, no da?" Tasuki blinked and rounded on him, twisting her body in the seat. "Yes, sometimes I think I am. Even when I was Genrou and in love with you in our past life, I was still a man's man. Honorable... well as much as a bandit could be" fanged grin at this "But it was more of the fact that in our past life I felt like I was the protector in our relationship. I protected you and was the more masculine member of our relationship. Now we are here and the role I am comfortable with is not mine to take. I wonder if our relationship is going to be the same as it is now or if after our child is born will I try and slip back into the role I occupied in our last life."

She glanced at him. "I know, that's very strange coming from the body of a woman. Especially one who is carrying your child. But I never felt very comfortable in this body before, sometimes I still don't. I will never get the whole high heels and short skirt thing. I'm more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. I don't think I have owned a dress willingly since I was 4, if then. I wonder if you see me in this form now and think 'Woman, I must protect her.' And while the female part of me, gods that feels weird just saying it, but the female part of me loves you for the protection. But the deeper me, the Tasuki from before, brash, hotheaded, mountain bandit cries out in irritation at the weaknesses in this form that call for you to be in charge."

She sighed "Do I even make any sense or is this just a pregnancy hormonal thing going on?"

Chichiri chuckled and swept a piece of hair that had fallen into her eyes and pushed it back, smiling into her eyes. "Ah, Tasuki. I will admit, you are correct in your assumptions of our past relationship. You were definately in charge in certain areas and the stronger of us personality wise when dealing with others about our relationship. I just stood back and went with what you said and did in accordance to our relationship. Now, don't get me wrong, you never did anything I disagreed with, but it was easier and more comfortable to step back and let you assume this role. I will admit that after I was reawakened, I would imagine our life together after you were found and it looked very similiar to our past life. But now here you are, in a very different form and society says that it is I who must lead our relationship, at least outwardly. Do I think you have been changed? Yes, you are in a woman's body now. Even though your inner self is the same, your upbringing and the way we were both raised in this time says that our relationship will be different then before. We have seen that it is socialably acceptable for the man to lead the relationship in public situations, where as if the woman is seen being forceful, she is ridiculed and called names."

He smiled at her and kissed her nose, as she was looking a bit down. "But really, Tasuki, that is just the outside world, no da. In our past life, when we were just us, in our home, our union was just that, a union. Neither you nor I were in control, we complimented each other. Now we do the same, as before. When we are around our friends, we are able to share the burden of being in charge. Do I feel more protective of you physically? Yes, I do. You seem more fragile to me in this form and every fiber of my being says that you are to be protected and watched over. However, maybe that is just the man in me coming out. You were always physically protecting me in our last life, even though we both knew I didn't need it. I know you can defend yourself in this life, although now with the baby coming it is good to be cautious, but usually you are strong and can watch yourself and I know this. But you are the love of my life and I will do everything to protect you." By this point, Tasuki is sobbing softly at his words, her heart overfilled with love for this man. Chichiri gathered her into his arms. "Ah, I love you Tasuki. Don't fight the differences in yourself from your past life. I have differences in my life. I don't carry the pain and hurt on my soul and the scars on my person that I did in my last life, na no da. Those differences had formed me into a different person then what I was in my last life. Luckily my memories have not caused me any pains when they were returned. I just took who I was and fit it into who I am in this life. I think you have done the same. You were more brash before, I saw a little of this, but your family and Kouji confirmed this. And remember, no da, Genrou grew up in our last life. I think you are compairing your current self to the way you were as Genrou at this age. But you have the memories of Genrou being more restrained and mature in his later years. You are also female in this life. Your hormones are different, you react differently then Genrou would have, no da. When you add in the memories of a tamed Genrou from later in life and then the body of a woman and add that to your current persona, add in the environmental elements that go with raising a young woman and of course you are not going to be the same." 

Tasuki gave a nod and wiped her tears, smiling lovingly at him. "And besides, I like this new Tasuki. You are both a comfort and reassuring presence in my life and a complete enigma. I am sure there are new things about myself that you are learning that have only cropped up in this life, na no da." Tasuki gave a nod. She suddenly smirked at him "Like how sexy you look in jeans." 

The monk blushed bright red at this. "Gah, Tas-chan. I am trying to have a serious conversation with you and you have to say stuff like that." She burst into giggles at this and laid her head on his shoulder. "Actually I needed the laugh. I am sorry. I have been fighting it that I am giving up the control I use to have in our relationship from before. However, I see you are as new to your role in 'us' as I am. We will just take this together and learn as we go. Besides, I love how you protect me."

Chichiri smiled and kissed her nose. A voice from across the aisle sounded out. "Now, flame boy, if you are all done being sentimental, maybe you could answer the question on how your mom took the news that you are pregnant." The two were pulled out of their private little world and Tasuki's amber eyes narrowed at Tamahome as they realized that the whole group had been listening to their conversation.

"Baka, I was having a very nice conversation with Chichiri and you ruined it." She frowned playfully at him. "Fine, my mom is a bit upset. Her main worry was that Chichiri only proposed because of the baby. When I had convinced her that this was not the case, the worry turned to me finishing college and Chichiri's job. On the upside, my mother is totally thrilled about having a grandchild and has told me that she hopes that this will be her first of many." She frowned at this thought. "I told her that I was hoping Tad could contribute to that 'many' cause I was only giving her a few." The group burst into laughter and the conversation turned towards the upcoming wedding of Chichiri and Tasuki. Both seishi agreed that they really only wanted something small and they could do a reception in New Mexico next time they went. Just the warriors and their miko to be present for the vows. 

As the plane landed in Los Angeles, Chichiri leaned close to his love. "Don't worry darling. My job will be fine. You are no longer my student and we will be married as soon as possible, before you become obvious. They really can't do or say anything about it." Tasuki gave him a nod. "If they try, then we will just deal with it together. I do want to finish college though." The monk nodded as the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign and the seishi stayed seated to let the 'commoners', as Hotohori referred to them, off the plane. "We will see you with a diploma, na no da." The others agreed to this and finally as a group, gathered their carry on bags and filed off the plane to catch their connecting flight to Tokyo.

The group had a 4 hour layover in the Los Angeles airport and Hotohori got them into a club he was a member of and they relaxed over appetizers and non alcoholic drinks. Chiriko and Tasuki were discussing their schedules for the next semester and Miaka and Nuriko were talking about girl stuff, who knows. Hotohori and Mitsukake were talking about Mitsukake's hunt for Shoka, seeing as Tasuki had Kouji with her. Shoka should be around somewhere. Chichiri and Taka were also talking about school, but from the teaching aspect. The moment was perfect, the group comfortable to just be together.

Time came for them to leave and catch their next flight and they stood, gathering bags and paying for the meal. Tasuki stretched and looked around her group, the comfortable way they helped each other, talked with each other. No one was ever left out here. She smiled to herself and caught Chichiri's eye. "What are you grinning about, no da? You look like the cat that just ate the canary."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Just so glad to be with you guys, that's all." The group heard her words and all smiled in agreement. They made their way towards the terminal. Suddenly Tasuki let out a yelp. All turned to her. "I have to pee."

The group burst into laughter as she turned and walked back towards the bathroom they had just passed, Miaka and Nuriko turning to follow her. "Same here."

The guys shook their heads and stopped to wait for the ladies. A few minutes later the girls returned, giggling together. Chichiri smiled at the sight of Tasuki giggling with Miaka and Nuriko. If it had been with any other women, the sight would have frightened him, but with the miko and willow seishi, it was natural.

The group was soon on the air plane, settling back into first class seats and chatting comfortably. The flight back to Japan was long and the group all slept at one point, Tasuki leaning on Chichiri's shoulder, his head resting on the window, their hands twined together.

They were able to gather luggage quickly in Tokyo and Hotohori had called for a limo and then group rode back towards the school in style, dropping off Tasuki and Chiriko first, so they could unpack. The group decided to just seperate for the evening and then catch up in the morning, seeing as it was about 8 pm when they landed. It took a bit of arguing, but Tasuki was allowed to carry her bag to her room, claiming she could do it just fine. They all sighed and told her to take it easy after that.

Tasuki sighed to herself and she dropped her bag at her door and opened her door. She sighed softly as Suki glanced up, having already returned to the dorm. The girl was all talking and giggling and Tasuki listened with half an ear to the girls excited chatter. She had just unpacked her bag and had changed out of her clothes into a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt when a knock on the door had Suki bounding towards it so sure it was for her. Tasuki wasn't really paying much attention and was pulling on a pair of thick socks as she pondered whether she was tired enough to sleep despite being hungry. "Who are you?"

Tasuki glanced up at Suki's question to see Chiriko at her door. "Dokun?" She used his correct name due to Suki. He gave her a grin. "I was hungry and thought you would be too." She smiled slightly. "I am, just a bit. I was standing here deciding if I was too tired to eat, but I think I can stay awake for some food." The youngest seishi smiled at her. "Good. Let's get moving."

She pulled her shoes on and gave a wave to the flabbergasted Suki, who looked like she wanted an invite. Grabbing her coat, she shut the door behind her, telling her roomie to not wait up. "So, where are we eatting?"

Chiriko smiled "A restraunt." She laughed and followed him out into the cold of the night. She came up short and grinned at her waiting friends. "Come on you two. It's cold and I'm starving." Nuriko yelled. Chiriko and Tasuki laughed and joined their friends. Seeing as they were still on campus and she could almost feel Suki's eyes on the group, she kept a respectable distance with Chichiri and joined in on the joking of Miaka wiping out a buffet style restraunt. Miaka took the ribbing good naturedly but then turned it on Tasuki. "Well, Tasuki is eatting for two now, so she will be eatting as much as I do soon." Tasuki stared open mouthed in shock at her miko. The group laughed at her expression. She finally recovered. "Miaka, if I was to eat as much as you, I would gain way to much weight." She grinned then at Taka "But man, Tamahome, can't you just imagine the grocery bills you will have when Miaka gets pregnant?" Taka gulped and paled noticeably the thought of all that money wasted on food to feed his wife making him shake a bit. The group just laughed at his obvious distress.

The restraunt wasn't far from the campus and the group settled around a table and Tasuki gave Chichiri a small grin, pleased to be next to him, even after the long flight. Their hands linked under the table and she leaned comfortably towards him, their hands resting on his knee. Their food had just been ordered and they were laughing and remembering their trip when Tasuki suddenly pulled away from Chichiri and sat straight. He gave her a confused look, as did Nuriko, who saw Tasuki pull away. "Suki is here."

"The roomie from hell?" Tasuki nodded at Nuriko's words. "Yeah, she just came in through the door" she groaned "And she is coming over here." The group almost seemed to sigh at these words and Suki arrived right behind Chiriko, who sat across from Tasuki. "Hi Gen-chan."

Tasuki turned an impassive look on the other girl. "Hello Suki, can we help you?"

The girl nodded "I was going to join you but didn't catch up to you in time. Where can I sit?" Tasuki was staring at the girl, in shock of her audacity. "You weren't exactly invited, Suki. Plus the table is full and this is a private conversation." Suki's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Chichiri. "Hello Ri-sensei." Chichiri's voice was calm. "Hello." Suki got a slightly twisted grin on her face and gave a bow to the group. "Excuse me for intruding. I will leave you to your meal then."

With that the girl left the restraunt and Tasuki thumped her head on the table. "Not good." Chichiri nodded "I think we might want to step up the process of our marraige." The group nodded and Hotohori's cell phone came out and he dialed a number and stepped away from the table and went to have a private conversation. Miaka and Nuriko turned towards Tasuki. "Do you think she knows?"

Tasuki nodded "She saw me leaning towards Chichiri, although our hands were under the table, I'm sure she knows. Plus she is a snoop, she has probably seen my sketches of you guys. She's not stupid, just flaky, she knows something is going on." She glanced at her lover. "I don't want Chichiri to lose his job." 

Hotohori returned at this point and sat down. "If you are married before she can report you, then nothing can be said or done."

Chichiri nodded "Yes, that is true, but how are we to get married before she reports it, no da?"

The group turned to look at the smug smile on the ex emperor. "Taken care of. It will take most of the day tomorrow to do paperwork, especially since Tasuki is american, but you two can be married by tomorrow evening." Chichiri turned and stared at his lover. She looked shocked. She turned her head to stare at him and suddenly burst into a wide smile and launched herself at Chichiri. "Yes, let's do it." He burst into laughter and caught her, kissing her softly. The group sat back and smiled at each other. Tomorrow was to be Chichiri and Tasuki's wedding day.

After supper, the group walked back towards the campus, where their vehicles were parked and Chiriko and Tasuki bid their friends goodnight and walked towards their dorms, sleep being top on the list for the coming days activities. 

Tasuki paused at her door and sighed, opening it. Suki was sitting on her bed, smirking at her roommate and Tasuki closed the door and met her gaze. "Hello."

Suki raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you are talking to me now?" Tasuki gave her a cold gaze. "It didn't have to come to that, Suki." The girl smirked. "What, you shagging your teacher?" Tasuki frowned. "You saw me sitting next to him in a group of people at a crowded restraunt, eatting. Where did shagging come into it? And besides, Ri-sensei is no longer my teacher. I am starting with Sakuna-sensei for those classes this semester."

Tasuki quickly changed into pajama's and sat on her bed while the roommate continued to smirk. "Then what about those pictures?" Tasuki glanced up. "What pictures?"

Suki waved Tasuki's sketch book under her nose. "The ones in here of Ri-sensei, dressed in those weird monk clothes. There is even a redhead in here that looks like you." Tasuki growled and tapped her seishi speed and snatched the book away from the girl. "Haven't you ever learned to not touch other people's things? I drew those pictures in high school." 

"Yeah right. You drew Ri-sensei in high school, years before you got here, right?" 

Tasuki sighed and rubbed her head. "I see even your friend Dokun is in here, all those people you had supper with tonight are there. Coincidence?"

Tasuki nodded "The people in my sketch are not my friends here, just an amazing resemblence. The blue haired monk is named Chichiri, not Ri Houjun."

"OH, Houjun. Do you call Ri-sensei that?" Tasuki frowned and rubbed her head, a headache forming. "No, I don't call him Houjun. And don't give me that look, his name is in the faculty listing."

Suki leaned back against the wall and Tasuki laid down, turning her back on her roommate. "OH, don't you think about ignoring me again. You will regret not being friends with me. By this time tomorrow night, everyone will know about you and Ri-sensei. He will be fired and your foreign ass will be back on a flight to the United States before you can even say "K'so." 

Tasuki rolled over and raised an eyebrow, her features calm. "Did you just threaten me with some meaningless threat? Since when was it against the law of the university to be friends with a teacher? I'm friends with Sukunami-sensei too, and you haven't said anything about that."

"Sukunami-sensei is married." 

Tasuki sighed, the conversation past the point of annoying. "Fine, say whatever you like. It won't matter. Ri-sensei will still be teaching here this semester and I will still be attending classes. Try your best."

With that, Tasuki reached out and flicked off the lamp and rolled over, ignoring the maniacal laugh of her roommate and the soft mutterings as the jetlag (and pregnancy hormones) caught up to her. She slipped into a peaceful sleep, for tomorrow she would be Mrs. Houjun Ri and then the school couldn't fire Chichiri for loving her nor send her home for being in love with the former monk. 


	10. I Do!

I don't own fushigi Yuugi.

Tasuki woke bright and early, moaning softly as a wave of sickness washed over her. She buried her head under her pillow and waited for it to pass. "Awwww, is the little american sick?"

She took the pillow off of her head "Oh, are you still here? I thought you would be out trying to ruin my life and Ri-sensei's career." With that she forced herself up, ignoring her churning stomach and quickly got dressed. She put her sketch book into her bag, making sure her sketches of Chichiri and the others were in there and then grabbed a few papers from her travel bag from the plane ride, like her birth certificate and other papers that she would need to have handy today. She gave her roommate a mock friendly wave and left her room, hurrying down the stairs where she met Chiriko coming into her building. 

"Morning Tasuki. Would you like some breakfast before..." he stopped talking as she tossed the bag at him, slapped a hand over her mouth and then darted into the bathroom on the hall. A girl from the bottom floor came out and made a comment about a girl throwing up.

Chiriko was waiting with a worried expression when she came out and she smiled slightly. "It's ok, Chiriko. Sorry about that."

The youngest seishi nodded and handed her the bag. "Let's go, we are meeting at Miaka's. Are you sure you can make it over there? We could call a cab."

She shook her head, her stubborn nature coming out and she started walking in the direction of Miaka's. The conversation was light hearted as they walked, although Chiriko could tell she was distracted. "Are you ok?"

She blinked and glanced at him. "Hai, I'm fine. Had to put up with my roommate threatening to tell the school and get Chichiri fired last night and then the sickness this morning. Plus, if everything goes as planned, today is my wedding day. Hehe, what is there to be scared of?" Chiriko smiled at her. "Well, we will all be with you today, so no fears and worries, ok?" Tasuki smiled at her celestial brother. "Of course, thanks Chiriko. I would be lost without you guys."

The conversation became more upbeat as they approached Miaka's building, right as Chichiri and Mitsukake arrived, Hotohori and Nuriko's vehicle already present in the apartment parking lot. Chichiri and Mitsukake waited for Chiriko and Tasuki to catch up and the group was silent until they entered Miaka's apartment.

"Are you ok, Tasuki?" The former bandit raised startled eyes to Mitsukake and then Chichiri. "Yes, I'm fine why?"

"You look pale, na no da." Chichiri brushed a strand of stray hair from her face and studied her. "Second thoughts, no da?" Tasuki glanced up into his eyes and saw real fear and worry there. She gave a fanged smirk. "Not on your life. I had my first experience of morning sickness on my way out of my dorm, that's all."

Mitsukake turned from conversing quietly with Chiriko. "Are you ok? Do you need something to settle your stomach?"

Tasuki gave a shake of her head. "Nah, the walk helped take it away, and tossing my cookies. We all know I'm use to being physically ill, with as much as I loved sake in my past life." The group burst out laughing and were joined in the Sukunami's foyer by the the others. Hotohori was hanging up the phone. "Well, you two have blood work first thing this morning at a private clinic. Let's get moving. Then after that we have awhile till we have to be at the courthouse to expediate the process of your marraige certificate. We can grab a bite then." Chichiri and Chiriko turned glances to Tasuki who managed to not look too green and nod at Hotohori's words. "Alright, I say we get this show on the road. The sooner we are married, the easier I breathe. I don't want Chichiri to lose his job and if I know my roommate, she is already starting the rumor and trying to destroy us." The others nodded and Chiriko and Mitsukake joined Taka and Miaka in their vehicle, Hotohori and Nuriko in theirs and Chichiri and Tasuki would follow behind the others, all going to the clinic.

Tasuki blushed as Chichiri held her door open for her and sank into her seat and belted herself in and then smiled as Chichiri slid into the driver seat. "I wonder if my vehicle could be shipped and driven over here." The ex monk turned and glanced at her as she placed a trembling hand over her stomach, still trying to quell the churning that had started again. "I don't think it will be a problem, no da. Are you sure you are up to this?" Tasuki gave a nod as her lover pulled out and followed their friends into traffic. "Hai, I'm ok. I just want to go to bed tonight as Mrs. Houjun Ri." She smiled and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Mrs. Houjun Ri?"

She giggled "That's the american in me. As long as I'm married to you when I fall asleep tonight, I am fine with it." He laughed softly and took her hand into his as they pulled into the clinic parking lot. "Let's go."

The clinic appointment went by quickly and Chichiri and Tasuki were given their results and sent on their way. By this point, Tasuki's morning sickness had developed into full blown, Miaka worthy hunger. The group drove towards the restraunt owned by Keisuke and settled in for a meal, laughing and chatting with each other. They spent over two hours at the restraunt and then were off to the courthouse, where Hotohori had called in many favors and got the local judge to agree to expediate the application and then marry the couple.

The process of filling out the application went quickly, with both Tasuki and Chichiri prepared with documentation and having the blood test already done. The wait for it to be filed though was about 3 hours and Miaka and Tasuki were raiding the nearby vending machine when the judge came out of his chambers with a smile. "I have a 30 minute break, your paperwork is finished. Are you ready to get married?"

Tasuki dropped her bag of peanuts on the floor in shock, having expected to wait longer and she stared at the judge as Miaka picked up her snack and began to lead her towards where the others were standing, grinning and chatting excitedly. Chichiri moved forward and took his love's hand and her eyes met his. He was pleased to see calm and love in her eyes and they smiled at each other as the group filed into the judge's chambers and Tasuki and Chichiri stood before the judge and repeated their vows to love honor and cherish each other.

The small ceremony went quickly and Tasuki burst into tears of joy as Chichiri's eyes sparkled with unshed tears when the judge proclaimed them husband and wife. Their first kiss as husband and wife was sweet and quick. Their friends jumped to their feet with cheers for the two seishi and the judge congratulated them and Hotohori took care of the fee and then with final thank you's and well wishes, the wedding party filed into the hallway and Chichiri took his bride's hand and smiled as they left the courthouse. Even with the rush of the ceremony and getting married, the group paused on the courtsteps and smiled at each other with pure love and emotion that only those who have lived the life they had, could share. The moment was soon broke by Miaka's stomach growling and it was a laughing group that headed to the diner across the street to eat a quick lunch.

Tasuki and Chiriko entered her room and paused as her roommate looked up and smirked. "By this time tomorrow, you and Ri-sensei will be finished here. I told everything." Tasuki smiled and then threw open her wardrobe and began to pull out the boxes of summery clothes and her suitcases. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I'm moving out, what does it look like?"

Chiriko chuckled and began to clear off her desk and put the items in a suitcase as she quickly emptied out her wardrobe. 

"You can't move out. Where will you live?"

"Why do you care? You made it clear last night that you didn't want to be roommates anymore, so I am leaving." 

Suki smirked "So, you are going back to America then?"

Tasuki chuckled as she zipped her first bag closed and then started to fill her second suitcase. "Hardly. I'm moving in with my husband." The clothes were fairly flying into the bag now, Chiriko was done with his bag and helping her finish packing by checking under her bed, still quiet.

Suki stuttered "Hu-Hu-husband?" Tasuki nodded "Yes, Husband." She zipped up her last bag and did a quick glance around her half of the room and then surveyed her roommates side and saw nothing of hers there. "I will be back tomorrow to finish cleaning my half before I turn in my key. As for now, it's my wedding night, I'm going home."

She gave a wave, and between herself and Chiriko, they grabbed all the bags and boxes and loaded them into the hallway, where the others were waiting and boxes were quickly grabbed by Nuriko and the group left a shocked Suki standing in the doorway, watching them walk away.

The boxes and belongings of Tasuki were loaded into Chichiri's car and the group agreed to meet for dinner, giving the newly married couple a chance to be alone. Chichiri and Tasuki we quiet on the first drive to their home together. They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex and Tasuki grabbed a suitcase, Chichiri grabbing the other two. They would grab the boxes later. As they rounded the corner that led towards Chichiri's door, he stopped short at the sight of his supervisor on his doorstep. Tasuki's bag bumped into his leg and she glanced past him towards the distinguished man on the doorstep.

He pushed away from the wall and stared at the teacher and student. "So, it is true then."

Chichiri gave a slight frown and walked forward, the other teacher stepped aside as the former monk opened his door and walked in. Tasuki followed quietly and moved towards the bedroom as the other teacher watched Chichiri place the two bags down and turn towards his supervisor. "What is true, no da?"

"Don't give me that, Ri. Your student just went into your bedroom like she owned the place." 

"Well, she does live here, no da, and Holly-chan is no longer my student." He reached into a coat pocket and pulled out the envelope housing his marraige certificate. Handing it to his supervisor he spoke again "She is my wife."

The supervisor's startled eyes raised to meet his subordinates mahoghanny eyes and then pulled the certificate out of the envelope and looked it over. "You got married today?"

Chichiri nodded and kept his voice even as he told a small lie. "Hai, I had proposed to her over winter break and it was all planned before we returned to Japan with our friends. How else would we have been able to get married so quickly? The only reason we didn't get married in the United States is because I didn't have the necessary paperwork with me to marry there."

The supervisor handed back the certificate, realizing that he couldn't fire Houjun for being married and the student was no longer in Ri's class. "You do realize that marraige is a permanent condition, right Houjun?" The monk gave a nod "Hai, I know. I plan to be married to Holly for the rest of this life." This statement earned him a strange look, but he ignored it.

"You have a three year contract and that means next year is your last year on your contract. Don't expect it to be renewed." Chichiri shook his head "No, I would not expect that, sir."

The man nodded and glanced up to where Chichiri knew Tasuki stood in the bedroom doorway. "Congratulations Smith-san... I mean.." She grinned slightly. "Don't worry about it. Thank you for your well wishes though." She gave a polite bow and he returned it stiffly. He looked between the two of them. "I will want to see her papers and scores on your tests, to make sure she wasn't favored. It will be brought before a committee and if we find she was favored, you will get a mark on your files, Ri, and she will be made to take those classes over again." 

Chichiri and Tasuki both nodded at this, as they knew she had earned her grade, which was not a perfect one. The man gave a slight bow to them both and then left, looking confused. 

Chichiri closed the door after him and locked it. He then grabbed Tasuki's other bags and walked towards the bedroom where Tasuki still stood in the doorway. She stepped aside and let him pass and he placed the bags beside the one she carried. "That went well, no da."

Tasuki gave a nod and went into his waiting arms, leaning into his chest, her head under his chin. "Yes, it did. At least you didn't lose your job. And with the score I made in your class, he can't say you favored me." Chichiri chuckled at her tone and tightened his arms around her, breathing in her calming scent that was very similiar to Genrou's, minus the slight sake scent that had hung around the bandit, even when not drinking. "You still passed the class with good scores, Tasuki. And you earned them." She gave a nod and her lips found his neck "I'm glad. Well, now that we know your job is safe and I'm still a student, I think we should celebrate. Plus it is our wedding day." Chichiri glanced down at her as she looked up at him and their lips met in a deep kiss, passion quickly moving them to forget the outside world and it's problems. 


	11. Loose Ends Epilogue

I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

The rest of the school year passed for the two. The rumors abounded when school got back in session, thanks to Suki's medling. A few groups of girls went into mourning over the loss of Chichiri's eligibility. Tasuki put up with quite a bit of hateful rumors, but she just ignored them. Those that mattered to her knew the truth and the school found no favoring in her work in Chichiri's class, so she was able to keep those credits.

When she began to show, the rumors that had started to die off, sprung up anew. Once again, Tasuki and Chichiri just went with the flow, knowing they would die off eventually and eagerly planned, along with their friends, for the upcoming addition to their family. 

But alas, the baby was not the only addition to join into their circle of friends. Halfway through the semester, Mitsukake got a new nurse in the clinic. Tasuki was with him when the new nurse arrived. She was sitting on an examining table, done with her exam by Mitsukake, who was qualified to deliver her child. She was chatting with him and seeing as she had some free time, she was helping him label bottles of cough syrup, sticking the premade labels to the boxes. The conversation was light and teasing between the seishi.

The woman paused in the doorway and watched as the redheaded pregnant woman sitting on an exam bed shifted, and teased the tall handsome doctor as they worked. That they were close friends was obvious. She cleared her throat slightly and the conversation stopped between them as the woman and the doctor looked up. 

Tasuki stared in shock at the familiar looking woman at the doorway. 'Suzaku, could it be?'

She turned to look at Mitsukake, the dumbfounded look on his face would require teasing later, but for now she just smiled as she placed the jar back in the box and put the rest of the labels there. She moved the box farther from her and Mitsukake came out of his stupor enough to help his pregnant fellow seishi off the bed and she smiled at him and whispered low, in ancient Chinese "Good luck, Mits. I want a full report later."

With that she gave the doctor a bow and then smiled to the woman as she walked out the door, leaving Mitsukake and Shoka together.

She giggled as she made her way down towards Chichiri's classroom and came upon Chiriko walking with a cute girl. "Oh, Dokun." The youngest seishi glanced up and smiled at Tasuki. "Good afternoon, Gen-chan." She grinned and he smiled as well. "What are you so happy about?" 

She laughed happily. "I'm married to the greatest man in the world, I have the best friends a woman could ask for, both here and back in New Mexico and..." She leaned closer, as if telling a secret to Chiriko, the girl listening intently. "I just left Mitsukake alone with Shoka." She grinned and straightened, fangs showing. Chiriko stared at her "Are you serious?"

She gave a nod. "I was helping him label stuff after my appointment and she walked in. I take it she is his new nurse." She was fairly bouncing on her heels at the news and Chiriko gave a slight cheer. "Have you told the others?" She shook her head. "No, you were the first I have seen. I'm just on my way to Houjun, who is having lunch with Taka. I'll tell them next."

Tasuki finally turned curious eyes to the girl. "So, Dokun, who is this?" Chiriko flushed and Tasuki grinned at him. For a moment the youngest seishi didn't see his pregnant friend, but was transported back to a different life and he could almost see the tessen's handle rising over the bandit's right shoulder. He shook his head to clear the image and then smiled at the girl. "This is Megumi. She is a friend of mine." Tasuki raised an eyebrow and then winked at the girl. "Friend eh?"

Chiriko nodded "Is she the one going to dinner with us tonight?" She grinned even more at the blush on Chiriko's face. "I see. You guys must really have something if Chiriko is inviting you to supper with the group tonight." She gave Chiriko another wink as the two blushed and then gave a slight bow in farewell. "I will see you both tonight. Don't be surprised if Mitsukake manages to bring Shoka with him." She gave a small wave on her way to find Chichiri and Tamahome. "Ja ne!"

Later that night the group covered a bigger table at Keisuke's restraunt. Chiriko had brought Megumi with him and Mitsukake had managed to convince his new nurse, Shoka, to come to dinner with him and his friends. Talk was unsurprisingly neutral, as there were outsiders in the group, but the seishi and miko welcomed the two women into their fold with ease and acceptance. 

Tasuki ended up between Megumi and Chichiri. She and Miaka were making silly faces across the table at each other when Tasuki felt Megumi's eyes on her. She turned with a smile. "Are you having fun?"

Megumi nodded, studying the american student and then her eyes fell to Tasuki's stomach. Tasuki sighed. "Go ahead, you can ask."

Megumi blushed and looked at Tasuki. She saw acceptance and joy in the bandit's eyes. "So, is it true you married because of the baby?"

Tasuki shook her head "No, we did not marry because of the baby. Let's just say I have know Chi... I mean Houjun a long time and this was just the natural course of our relationship."

Chiriko glanced over at Tasuki from Megumi's other side. "Tasuki?"

She glanced past Megumi to Chiriko. "Yeah, Chiriko?" He smiled slightly "I'm going to tell her tonight." Megumi looked between the two, confused as Tasuki and Chichiri smiled at him. "Alright. That is why you wanted these then, eh?" She pulled her sketches out of her pocket of her jacket and handed them to Chiriko, who nodded and took them. "Yes." 

"Tell me what?"

The group just laughed and assured her it was nothing serious. Shoka looked confused as well. The meal continued on.

Apparently Chiriko's talk with Megumi went well because after that she became a staunch supporter in Chichiri and Tasuki's relationship and even took to calling the Seishi by their warrior names, although she would still call Chiriko, 'Dokun'. Eventually Mitsukake and Shoka had the same talk and she accepted as well. Their group slowly expanding.

Tasuki was cleaning the apartment, dusting and rearranging as well. Chichiri was teaching a summer class and she was alone. She didn't know where this energy was coming from, but she was surprised. The last few weeks had been rough and Tasuki had barely had the energy to move and now she was running around her apartment like a mad pregnant woman, nearly scrubbing everything.

She was, appropriately, in the nursery when the first pain hit. She paused in her work and winced as the pain tightened around her stomach. When it was over, she stared at her stomach and blinked. "That was it? That didn't hurt at all."

She shook her head and finished straightening up the house. Over time the contractions grew closer together and by the time Chichiri made it home three hours later, her contractions were 10 minutes apart. She had retreated to the comfort of the couch and was curled up on her side when he walked in. "Tasuki?"

She glanced up and smiled at him, a contraction just finishing. "Hi Chichiri."

He glanced around "You cleaned?" She nodded. He frowned down at her. "You should take it easy love, the baby will be here soon, no da."

She grinned again 'Sooner then you know, Chichiri-chan.'

He stood and undid his tie and moved towards their bedroom to change. "Miaka wants to know if we want to go out to supper tonight." Tasuki didn't reply and when he had finished changing, he returned to the living room to find her still laying down, eyes closed, breathing even. 

Thinking she had fallen asleep he paused and stared at her, smiling slightly before moving towards the phone to call Miaka and say they wouldn't be making it. Tasuki suddenly let out a shaky breathe and groaned softly, pushing up into a sitting position. "I don't think we will be able to make supper with the others tonight, Chichiri."

He stopped and turned to stare at her. "Tasuki! Have your contractions started?" She gave a nod and rested back against the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table. "Yeah. They started about 3 hours ago."

The monk sat beside her, facing her and she turned her head to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me, no da?"

She grinned "And stress you out so you couldn't finish teaching your classed today? No, I was fine, Chichiri. They are progressing slowly and only now are starting to hurt. I knew you would be home soon. I did call Mitsukake though, he knows and has been over to check on me once since then and has called three times too."

Chichiri sighed softly, a bit relieved to know Mitsukake was aware at least. "That's good, Tasuki."

The doorbell rang and Chichiri stood and opened the door to find the group on his doorstep. Mitsukake smiled at the monk. "I'm glad you made it home, Chichiri."

Tasuki looked over the back of the couch and smiled. "Come in guys, join the party."

The others were just what Tasuki needed to keep her mind off the pain, at least until the pains got so bad and close together that she couldn't think of much else. The others were amazed at Tasuki's strength. The former bandit was always one to complain about his wounds, just for attention, and now Tasuki sat, bearing the pains of childbirth quietly and with dignity. 

Finally Mitsukake said it was time to go to the hospital and Tasuki stood, with their help when her water broke. "OI, that is the most disgusting feeling ever." She shivered slightly and announced she was going to go change her clothes, Chichiri following her into the room to help her. About 5 minutes later, the two came out, both a bit paler then when they had gone in. Mitsukake stood and moved towards them as Tasuki stopped walking and bent nearly double in pain. "The pains always come faster when your water has broken, Tasuki."

She panted slightly with the contraction, not speaking and a small moan of pain left her mouth, the first sound she has made during a contraction. Chichiri was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

When she finally straightened enough to lean on Chichiri, Mitsukake frowned. "How close are you contractions now?"

Chichiri raised frightened eyes to the healer. "That was about 45 seconds." The doctor gasped and turned Tasuki to go back into the bedroom and instructed her to lay down. The others stood in the living room, confused and bit frightened for their hotheaded bandit.

The door opened and Chichiri stuck his head out, even more pale. "Hotohori, call for an ambulance, no da." Mitsukake's voice called out "Chiriko, run to my car and get the bag off the back seat." 

The regal figure nodded and Chichiri moved back into the room when Tasuki gave a loud scream of pain. Chiriko bolted from the apartment, only to return a minute later with the bag, which he took to the door, Chichiri taking it calmly from him and then shutting the door. Miaka and Nuriko clung to each other on the couch, Taka having mopped up the amniotic liquid. "I hope she is ok!"

Miaka's voice was quiet. "This is Tasuki we are talking about. Hard headed. If he could survive the beating that Tamahome bestoyed on him, then this will be nothing. Plus, she has Mitsukake with her."

The group nodded at Nuriko's confident voice, which did not match the fear in her eyes.

Tasuki gave out another cry of pain and the group jumped. Mitsukake and Chichiri's soft voices murmured through the door and Tasuki let out a loud "Fuck you!"

In the bedroom,

Tasuki was propped back against the headboard, glad that she had put the plastic sheet over the mattress last week. Mitsukake finished checking her and smiled. "Tasuki, we definately are not going to be moving until this baby gets here. Your water breaking was the only thing slowing your labor. You are ready to push."

Tasuki gazed dazedly at the healer and Chichiri moved towards the door and told Hotohori to call the ambulance. He stood near the door, waiting for Mitsukake's bag. When it was delivered to him, he returned to Tasuki's side.

The next few minutes were spent instructing Tasuki on how to push and she screamed with pain as a strong contraction hit. When it faded Mitsukake checked her and smiled. "Very good, this baby is not taking it's time. Now, push hard on the next contraction."

Chichiri smiled and smoothed her hair back from her face. "You are doing good, Tasuki." A contraction hit as she glared at her husband. "FUCK YOU!"

The monk pulled back in shock, a bit hurt and startled as Tasuki snatched his hand and squeezed and began to push. The monk caught Mitsukake's gaze and the healer's look told him to not take it personally. The blue haired man nodded and supported his wife as she strived to bring their baby into the world.

A few more pushes later, Mitsukake told Tasuki to stop pushing and he delivered the baby's head. Chichiri handed a nose syringe to Mitsukake and then had a blanket ready when the baby was delivered and placed on Tasuki's stomach as she cried out in relief. The cord was quickly tied and clamped and cut, the baby giving a lustful cry. The parents and healer all burst into happy tears as Mitsukake rubbed the blanket briskly over the baby. 

"Congratulation guys, it's a boy."

Hours later, Tasuki was cleaned and resting in a hospital bed, the ambulance having gotten there a few minutes to late to help with the delivery. The baby was sleeping in Chichiri's arms and visiting hours were long since over. He smiled across the private room, Hotohori's doing, as usual. Tasuki smiled tiredly back. "I am sorry I cussed you out, Chichiri."

The monk's grin grew bigger. "It's ok, no da. I am just glad you two are safe and it's over." He smiled down tenderly at the sleeping baby in his arms. He rose and moved to her side, transferring their son to her. "He is the result of our love, and he could not be more perfect, no da."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "What are we going to call him, Chichiri?"

"I don't know. We never really did discuss names, no da. I think we should name him Konan."

She burst into laughter at this. "While we are at it, we should call him Taiitsukun." The monk shook his head at Tasuki's dry laugh. "He is much cuter then Taiitsukun, no da."

She turned to stare in shock at him, this being the first time she had heard him say anything negative about the creator. He chuckled "I was use to her face, not unaware, no da."

"How about Hoshi. It means Star." Chichiri smiled at Tasuki's suggestion, a clear reference to the stars of suzaku.

"What about a middle name?"

She thought for a bit. "Genevieve's past is Irish. How about Kael for his middle name? It means warrior."

Chichiri thought it over. "Hoshi Kael. Star Warrior" He smiled and kissed her forehead. "It's beautiful. I love it."

They watched with love and fascination as Hoshi yawned and blinked up at his parents. A true testiment to a love that started a life time ago and continued to this day and would continue into the next life as well.

(A/N Man, this went two chapters farther then I had intended it. But I had somethings I wanted to add, like Shoka and I felt Chiriko needed a woman. I hope you guys liked it. I am pleased with it at least. Everqueen!) 


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